A California judge, Nina Shapirshteyn, has found against the online gaming giant Roblox, permitting a lawsuit accusing the popular platform of facilitating child sexual exploitation to proceed in public court instead of private arbitration.
The decision is seen as a significant moment for numerous families filing a lawsuit against Roblox that is already facing up to 35 lawsuits accusing child abuse on its platform.
Roblox has nearly 83 million daily users and $3.6 billion in annual revenue, and was reviewed by stated officials and parents.
Attorneys general from Louisiana, Kentucky, and Florida have launched a probe regarding its safety following a number of complaints for the platform.
The case started when a father, identified as Steve, found that a predator had targeted his 13-year-old son on the platform and later exploited on Discord.
He filed a lawsuit against both companies, stating they misled parents regarding safety features. Roblox tried to shift the case to private arbitration; however, the judge dismissed the request, keeping it in public court.
An attorney who is representing multiple families, Alexandra Walsh, stated, “This motion was meant to silence the family.”
Alexander added, “Everyone deserves a day in court.”
Speaking to ABC News, a Roblox spokesperson stated, the platform entirely disagrees with the court’s decision and revealed plans for appeal, adding that child safety remains its utmost priority and citing AI tools, chat filters, and cooperation with law enforcement.
Critics stated the case highlights rising online risks for children.
