NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee is taking legal action against one of the world’s most popular online gaming platforms, alleging it failed to adequately protect children while assuring parents it was safe.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, claiming the company violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by prioritizing profits over child safety and misleading families about the risks on its platform.
For mother Alison Ragsdale, the allegations hit close to home.
Ragsdale said she initially allowed her 6-year-old son to play Roblox because it seemed harmless and was popular among children his age. But she soon noticed troubling changes in the games he was playing.
“He’d be rolling a ball around and the ball would get bigger to score points or climbing a ladder up to the sky into the clouds,” Ragsdale said. “Then he would get bored with that and move on to the next game, and next thing I know he’s stabbing something.”
Ragsdale said that even after adjusting parental controls, strangers were still able to send messages to her son.
“The only reason at the time he couldn’t chat with them was because he didn’t know how to use a keyboard on it,” she said.
Her concerns escalated after a police officer told her about predatory cases involving the platform. Ragsdale said that ultimately led her to take the game away from her son.
“He had the biggest fit in the world because it was addictive,” she said. “No matter what game he wanted to play, it was on there, so it really draws to the children.”
When Ragsdale learned the state was suing Roblox, alleging the company knowingly exposed children to dangerous environments while promising parents it was safe, she said the lawsuit felt comforting.
Roblox has said it uses safeguards to protect children, including artificial intelligence tools, 24/7 moderation teams, and partnerships with law enforcement and child-safety experts.
Another Tennessee parent, Joel Silmon, said he sees both the risks and the benefits of the platform.
Silmon plays Roblox with his 9-year-old daughter and said it can offer creative and developmental opportunities when parents are involved. Still, he said he has encountered concerning issues, including how easily strangers can be added as friends.
“We went person by person — do you know them? Who is it? Where do you know them from? What’s the relationship? Delete it?” Silmon said.
While Silmon believes the platform can be positive, he said stronger protections and transparency are necessary.
“Transparency is important,” he said. “I think the protection of children is clearly important, and I think it’s okay to bring those two worlds together.”
The lawsuit alleges Roblox has deceived Tennesseans for years about serious safety risks on the platform. It cites examples including games referencing sexual abuse, allegations of predators luring or extorting children, and minors gaining access to virtual strip clubs.
Ragsdale said until she sees meaningful changes, her stance will not change. If the state wins the lawsuit, the court could force Roblox to change how it protects children, stop marketing itself as safe without proof, pay civil penalties, and cover the state’s legal costs.
Roblox's Chief Safety Officer released a statement:
“This lawsuit fundamentally misrepresents Roblox and how it works. Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day. We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications. Users cannot send or receive images via chat, eliminating one of the most prevalent opportunities for misuse seen elsewhere online. Safety is a constant and consistent focus of our work, and we are currently rolling out additional measures to further limit who users can chat with. We take swift action against anyone found to violate our safety rules and work closely with law enforcement to support investigations and help hold bad actors accountable.
As a dad, I know there is no finish line when it comes to protecting kids, and while no system can be perfect, our commitment to safety never ends."
Kaufman adds,
- The platform has rigorous safety features built in, and Roblox policies are purposely stricter than those found on social networks and other user-generated content platforms.
- Roblox doesn't allow image sharing via chat, which is also subject to filters designed to block the sharing of personal information.
- Roblox constantly monitor communication for critical harms and swiftly remove violative content when detected and work closely with law enforcement.
- Age verification is an industry-wide challenge and Roblox has taken an industry leading stance on age-based communication. Roblox recently announced they will be rolling out age estimation technology out globally by the end of the year before any user can communicate on Roblox.
- Roblox works closely with law enforcement, government agencies, mental health organizations, and parental advocacy groups to create resources for parents and to keep users safe on the platform. For example, Roblox maintains direct communication channels with organizations, such as the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), for immediate escalation of serious threats that we identify.
This story was reported on air by journalist Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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