Connecticut AG: Roblox gaming platform has become a 'predator's playground'
State officials worry that the platform is being used to draw youth into disturbing and violent interactions, and that older users are exploiting loopholes in the platform's safety protocols to gain access to victims.
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For those who have not seen Roblox, it is a global digital playground and game creation system.
It allows users to play games created by others and build their own.
It exploded during COVID.
But Connecticut Attorney General William Tong says it is doing more harm to our kids than good.
Tong and other state officials worry that the platform is being used to draw youth into disturbing and violent interactions, and that older users are exploiting loopholes in the platform's safety protocols to gain access to victims.
The state's investigation requests a variety of information and records from the company, including the age of Roblox users, income generated from those users, and the amount of time users are spending on the platform.
"We're doing it because Roblox has become a predator's playground, a place where adults, where people who want to do harm to children, go looking for our kids," said Tong.
"We share Attorney General Tong's commitment to helping keep children safe online. Roblox has built a multilayered safety system that includes pioneering safeguards," said Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman.
He went on to say his company has taken swift action and worked closely with law enforcement to help hold bad actors accountable.
Kaufman says while no system is perfect, we are constantly strengthening our user protections.
