FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the popular online gaming platform has knowingly allowed itself to become a "playground for predators."
The lawsuit targets one of the world's most popular gaming and social media platforms, which Coleman says is used by nearly two-thirds of all U.S. children ages 9 to 12. Coleman discovered the platform's accessibility firsthand when he learned one of his own children created an account at 10 years old without parental knowledge.
"Young kids are able to create accounts quickly, easily, and without their parents' knowledge," Coleman said. "I learned in the last few days when I learned my own one of my own children created an account at 10 years old."
The company, valued at $41 billion when it went public in 2021, has long faced scrutiny over safety and content moderation. Coleman argues what appears as an innocent cartoon game can have dangerous elements.
"Once they're on the platform, there is very little to stop kids from messaging predators who are looking for their next victim," Coleman said.
The attorney general referenced public records linking Roblox to several concerning incidents, including "assassination simulators" that appeared following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and "extremist sextortion groups" that have allegedly extorted, threatened, and conspired to kill children as young as 8 years old.
"We also learned that after the gruesome assassination of Charlie Kirk, sickening so-called assassination simulators immediately popped up on Roblox," Coleman said. "They allowed children as young as 5 to access bloody images of the shooting, bloody images that you know our kids can't unsee once viewed."
Jefferson County mother of three Courtney Norris says monitoring her children's activity on Roblox proved difficult and supports the attorney general's action.
"He comes to this as a parent, and he knows that we can't protect our kids from every danger in the world, but we can stand up for them, and we can demand that online spaces live up to the safety that they promise," Norris said.
Coleman emphasized the lawsuit's goal is not to shut down Roblox but to force the company to implement safety features such as age verification.
"And so it's my hope looking directly at the camera is I'm asking the leadership of Roblox to settle this with us," Coleman said. "It is about making this platform safe for my kids and your kids. That's the outcome we want."
The complaint alleges Roblox is violating Kentucky's Consumer Protection Act and seeks penalties of up to $2,000 for each violation, plus additional fines and penalties.
Roblox disputed Coleman's account in a statement that read in part: "We welcome a direct conversation with the AG's office and all policymakers to ensure they have a clear understanding of all Roblox is doing to keep users safe. Keeping kids safe online requires a collaborative industry-wide effort, which we welcome."
