A Cook County father filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of his 9-year-old son, accusing the popular gaming platform Roblox of knowingly operating an unsafe environment that enabled the sexual exploitation of his child.The lawsuit alleges that an adult predator used Roblox to manipulate the boy into sending sexually explicit images, including a photo of his exposed genitals. According to the court filing, the man posed as a child and groomed him through the platform.At the center of the lawsuit is a broader accusation: that Roblox has long known its platform is rife with child predators but has chosen growth and profits over meaningful child safety protections. The suit claims the company “recklessly and deceptively” runs its business while being fully aware that “countless child predators … [are] freely roaming the app looking for vulnerable children.”Roblox is one of the most widely used gaming platforms in the world, allowing users to play millions of user-generated games known as “experiences” and communicate through various chat modes.The platform surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Roblox reported roughly 30 million daily active users, the complaint says. By 2024, that number had grown to about 68 million.As Roblox expanded, so did the number of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to protect children from online predators and sexually explicit content.In a statement, a Roblox spokesperson said the company “prioritizes the safety of our community,” adding that its safety policies are “purposely stricter than those found on many other platforms.”“We limit chat for younger users, don’t allow user-to-user image sharing, and have filters designed to block the sharing of personal information,” the spokesperson said.The lawsuit disputes those claims, calling Roblox’s safety measures “woefully inadequate.”According to the filing, the boy — described as an “avid” Roblox player — was targeted in 2025 by an adult who posed as a child. The man developed a false friendship with the boy that escalated to grooming and sexual exploitation.The child has since suffered “emotional distress, psychological trauma, and mental anguish,” the lawsuit states.The complaint also challenges Roblox’s account creation process. While the platform allows users of any age to sign up and says parental permission is required for children, the lawsuit alleges Roblox does not verify a user’s age or confirm parental consent, allowing minors to sign up without oversight and adults to lie about their age.Although Roblox has introduced restrictions limiting adults from contacting children outside of games, the lawsuit claims adults can still interact with minors through public in-game chats. Predators, the filing alleges, deliberately seek out games frequently played by younger users — including the hugely popular open-world role-playing game Brookhaven — which have no age restrictions.The lawsuit also points to sexually explicit content on the platform, including so-called “condo games,” where avatars can remove their clothing, and virtual strip clubs where users simulate sexual acts such as lap dances.“Far from creating a safe place for children, Roblox designed, built, and maintains a toxic environment that has enabled obscene material to flourish,” the filing says.According to the complaint, Roblox has declined to invest in basic safety features. One former employee quoted in the filing described the company’s mindset as follows: “You can keep your players safe, but then it would be less of them on the platform. Or you just let them do what they want to do. And then the numbers all look good and investors will be happy.”On Wednesday, Roblox announced it’s rolling out a new age verification system for players who want to use in-game chat. Players in the U.S. and abroad will need to submit to facial age estimation via a selfie. Users 13 years or older may opt for ID-based checks.The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California where Roblox is based, also scrutinizes the company’s financial model, which centers on virtual currency known as Robux. Predators, the filing alleges, exploit children’s desire for Robux by offering it in exchange for explicit images or using it to extort them — directly tying the platform’s profits to abuse.“This action,” the filing states, “is a stand against Roblox’s systemic failures to protect society’s most vulnerable from unthinkable harm in pursuit of financial gain over child safety.” ...read more read less