Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced Wednesday a lawsuit against the Roblox Corporation, alleging the company misled parents about the safety of its platform while exposing children to predators and harmful content.
According to the complaint, the hugely popular online gaming platform with a largely young player base, allows direct communication between minors and adults through private messaging, voice chat and user-created experiences. The lawsuit also alleges that children can access sexually explicit or violent content and simulations of criminal activity, and that parental control tools are difficult to use or easy to bypass.
Hilgers’ office claims Roblox has been aware of safety risks on the platform but failed to implement stronger protections while continuing to market the service as a safe environment for children.
“Parents deserve the truth,” Hilgers said in a statement. “Roblox has built a multibillion-dollar business on the trust of families.”
Nebraska is the fifth state in recent months to file suit against Roblox, joining Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Kentucky.
Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer for Roblox, told Forbes the company shares the state’s commitment to protecting youth online, but is “disappointed” that Nebraska chose to sue, saying the platform takes “swift action” against rule violators and cooperates with law enforcement to support investigations.