Los Angeles County Sues Roblox Over Child Safety Concerns

Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the popular online gaming platform failed to adequately protect child users from exploitation and harmful content. The lawsuit, announced on Thursday, February 19, 2026, adds to a growing number of similar legal challenges facing the company.

Allegations Against Roblox

The county’s lawsuit claims Roblox knowingly operates a platform that enables the sexual exploitation and abuse of minors, including children residing in Los Angeles County, where hundreds of thousands of users are under the age of 18. County attorneys argue that the platform’s design “makes children easy prey for pedophiles” and that Roblox has not adopted “reasonable and readily available safety measures” to protect them.

Specifically, the complaint calls for meaningful age verification tools and stronger parental controls. Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison stated the lawsuit isn’t about isolated safety issues, but rather a company prioritizing profit over child safety, leading to horrific trauma from grooming to assault. [Source: Desert Sun]

Roblox’s Response

Roblox strongly disputes the allegations. A company spokesperson stated, “Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day.” The spokesperson highlighted advanced safeguards that monitor the platform for harmful content and communications, and noted that users cannot send or receive images via chat, a common avenue for misuse on other online platforms. [Source: Desert Sun]

Recent Safety Measures and Ongoing Litigation

Roblox has recently implemented new safety protocols, including a facial estimation technology tool for age verification. [Source: NBC Los Angeles] However, the company is currently facing similar lawsuits in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Kentucky. Roblox maintains that these suits relate to events that occurred five years ago and emphasize their current safety standards and ongoing improvements.

Details of the Lawsuit

The civil complaint, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Roblox of unfair and deceptive business practices by failing to implement adequate moderation and age-verification safeguards despite marketing itself as a safe space for children. [Source: NBC Los Angeles] Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis emphasized Roblox’s responsibility to protect children and criticized the platform for allowing exposure to grooming, and exploitation. [Source: NBC Los Angeles]

Roblox’s User Base

Roblox boasts over 151 million daily active users and is designed for age-appropriate experiences, requiring users to be at least 5 years old to create an account. [Source: NBC Los Angeles]

Further Developments

Representatives for Roblox did not immediately respond to requests for further comment from Variety. [Source: Desert Sun] The lawsuit is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as they become available.

The announcement of the lawsuit by Los Angeles County follows a similar announcement earlier today, as reported by YouTube. [Source: YouTube]