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- 1 Roblox has allegedly allowed exposure to explicit content to underage users.
- 2 The platform’s popularity increased during the pandemic.
The biggest metaverse game Roblox has been pulled into a class-action lawsuit. A press release issued on Business Wire and first reported by gaming news website PC Gamer confirms the civil action filed by parents. Allegations indicate that the company has allowed exposure to sexual content to underage users on the platform.
Roblox Can Be Far More Harmful
Alexandra Walsh of Walsh Law, the firm representing parents, asserts that “There’s a misperception that Roblox is safe – the brand has a bit of a halo around it due to the company falsely advertising itself that way to parents.” She added, “Parents who would never let their kids use TikTok don’t think twice about letting them on Roblox, even though what they encounter on Roblox can be far more harmful.”
The release mentioned the platform’s popularity increased during the pandemic. Craig Donato, Roblox’s chief business officer, remarked that the network’s users grew by 40 percent between February and March 2020. Some parents even organized birthday parties for their kids, inviting relatives and friends in virtual rooms.
Available data shows there are over 200 Million users active on Roblox today. 44 percent of them are below the age of 13. As of Q1 2023, a majority of users come from Europe and Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Additionally, the platform recorded an engagement rate of nearly 30 Billion hours.
A variety of content and game modes is an appealing factor for the users. Its user-generated content (UGC) model has helped the platform gain popularity since its inception. The game is available for PC, consoles, and smartphones. Children have started using smartphones extensively today. Around 80 percent of Roblox users have signed up through mobiles only.
One of the individuals, according to the press release, spent over $4,000 while relying on the impression that it is a safe platform for her child. Another plaintiff claimed that she found links sent to her daughter’s account redirected users toward pornographic content.
The complaint stipulates that Roblox’s claims of preventing children from restricted content in their community guidelines are “untrue.” Additionally, the platform makes such exposure to users “extremely easy.” Additionally, the plaintiffs were allegedly “deceived into spending money on Roblox through the bold and inaccurate statements the company made, and that they would have found a different place to spend their money if they had known the truth.”
Metaverse Platforms have previously heard of harassment. A woman complained about being virtually groped by strangers on Horizon Worlds, a virtual world developed by tech giant Meta Platforms, in November 2021.
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), an intergovernmental organization, launched the first global police metaverse to prevent such activities in digital worlds.
Anurag is working as a fundamental writer for The Coin Republic since 2021. He likes to exercise his curious muscles and research deep into a topic. Though he covers various aspects of the crypto industry, he is quite passionate about the Web3, NFTs, Gaming, and Metaverse, and envisions them as the future of the (digital) economy. A reader & writer at heart, he calls himself an “average guitar player” and a fun footballer.
