"Roblox loses bid to stop L.A. County lawsuit over alleged child sex exploitation", 24 September 2026

Roblox failed in two attempts to stop a Los Angeles County lawsuit accusing the gaming platform of exposing children to sexual predators, grooming and sexually explicit content while promoting itself as safe for young users.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dean J. Kitchens rejected Roblox’s challenge to the case...

Los Angeles County sued Roblox in February on behalf of the People of California...

Roblox argued that Section 230 and the First Amendment protected it from the county’s claims. Section 230 generally shields online platforms from liability for content created by third parties.

Kitchens found that the county is challenging Roblox’s own conduct, including its age-verification and safety systems, rather than simply trying to hold the company responsible for what users post...

The judge also found that the statements challenged by the county involved commercial speech, rejecting Roblox’s argument that those portions of the case were protected by the First Amendment.

Los Angeles County alleges that Roblox allowed adults to pose as minors and interact with children while continuing to promote the platform as safe for young users...

The county also says parents and children were not adequately warned about the risks they could encounter on the platform...

The county is asking the court to order changes to the platform, require restitution and address what it describes as a public nuisance. It also seeks civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day for each violation of California’s unfair competition and false advertising laws.

Roblox disputes the allegations and says it has taken extensive steps to protect younger users. The company says it uses systems to detect harmful content and communications, prohibits users from exchanging images through Roblox chat and works with law enforcement when potentially dangerous activity is identified.

Roblox has also expanded its age-verification measures. In January, the company rolled out age checks for access to chat in regions where the feature is available, using facial age estimation or other verification methods. Verified users are placed into age groups intended to reduce direct communication between adults and children under 16...