Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton just hit Roblox with a blistering lawsuit, accusing the gaming giant of "putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children." The filing marks the third state-level legal challenge against Roblox in four months, signaling escalating pressure on platforms with massive child user bases to address safety concerns that critics say have been ignored for too long.
The legal storm surrounding Roblox just intensified. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a scathing lawsuit this week alleging the popular gaming platform has become "a habitual destination for child predators engaging in grooming and child sexual exploitation." The lawsuit filing accuses Roblox of deceptive trade practices for misleading parents about its safety features while knowingly creating what prosecutors call a "common nuisance."
The timing couldn't be worse for Roblox. This Texas action follows a disturbing pattern - Louisiana filed a similar lawsuit in August, alleging Roblox "permitted and perpetuated an online environment in which child predators thrive." Kentucky jumped in two months later, calling the platform "a hunting ground for child predators." Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier issued subpoenas to Roblox just last month over parallel allegations.
The Texas lawsuit draws heavily on documented cases of abuse, including activities by groups like 764, which law enforcement says use online platforms to blackmail victims into sexually explicit acts or self-harm. According to court documents, Roblox's safety push only began after mounting lawsuits and a damaging Hindenburg Research report last fall that described "an X-rated pedophile hellscape, exposing children to grooming, pornography, violent content and extremely abusive speech."
"We are disappointed that, rather than working collaboratively with Roblox on this industry-wide challenge and seeking real solutions, the AG has chosen to file a lawsuit based on misrepresentations and sensationalized claims," Eric Porterfield, Senior Director of Policy Communications at Roblox, told The Verge. The company says it has "introduced over 145 safety measures on the platform this year alone."
But the numbers working against Roblox are staggering. The platform that it serves over 111 million daily active users, a massive portion of them children. That scale amplifies every safety failure. Individual families and players have also sued Roblox for alleged abuse, including that paint a troubling picture of predatory behavior.