TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is issuing criminal subpoenas to investigate whether the popular online gaming platform, Roblox, has failed to protect children from predators who use the site to target minors.
"Platforms like Roblox have become breeding grounds for predators to gain access to our kids," Uthmeier said. "We will stop at nothing in the fight to protect Florida's children, and companies that expose them to harm will be held accountable."
The investigation focuses on disturbing allegations that sexual predators are using Roblox to communicate with children. Half of all American kids under the age of 16 use the platform.
Roblox is accused of failing to verify users' ages and allowing sexually explicit material to bypass its content filters. The Attorney General's office said it uncovered troubling information about the platform's safety practices.
A spokesperson for Roblox argues the platform has rigorous safety features built in to the platform.
“Attorney General Uthmeir’s claims about Roblox are false, and the suggestion that illicit image sharing is happening on Roblox demonstrates a lack of understanding of our platform’s functionality. In fact, we prohibit the sharing of images and videos in chat, use filters designed to block the exchange of personal information, and our trained teams and automated tools continuously monitor communications to detect and remove harmful content," a Roblox spokesperson said in a statement.
"We are also working to implement age estimation for all users accessing chat features. We share the AG’s commitment to keeping kids safe and we will continue to assist his office in their investigations. We have a strong record of working with law enforcement and investing in advanced safety systems to help protect our users and remove bad actors.”
Uthmeier's office first subpoenaed Roblox in April to look for information about the company's marketing practices, age verification procedures and chatroom moderation policies.
The investigation comes after tragic cases in Florida involving predators who used the platform to target children. Italo Bonini, a former Orlando middle school music teacher, pleaded guilty in federal court to using Roblox to entice young children.
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