Popular online gaming platform Roblox is being sued by families and state attorneys general who claim online predators can exploit kids they meet on the site. Roblox says it's rolling out new safety features, including age estimation and increased chat monitoring, this year to protect all users.

San Mateo

Roblox, a widely used online gaming platform, has come under increased scrutiny after authorities and families alleged it enables predators to target children. Florida's attorney general issued criminal subpoenas to Roblox, describing it as a 'breeding ground for predators,' while lawsuits have been filed by families claiming the platform allowed inappropriate contact between adults and minors. 

Roblox has responded by implementing over 100 new safety features, including age estimation and stricter chat monitoring, and now requires age verification for communication. The company also prohibits communication between adults and minors unless a real-life relationship is confirmed. Experts and Roblox recommend that parents monitor their children's accounts, review friend lists and spending, and discuss digital safety, especially regarding red flags like requests to switch platforms or offers of money.

What parents should know about Roblox and how to keep their kids safe

Yesterday, Florida's attorney general issued criminal subpoenas to the popular video game platform Roblox, calling it a, quote, breeding ground for predators. But what actually is Roblox? And why do regulators allege it is so easy for child predators to target kids there? Let's bring in CBS News senior business and technology correspondent Jolene Kent to explain Roblox. JOLENE KENT, CBS NEWS SENIOR BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT, ROBLOX Roblox is one of the most popular gaming platforms for kids. And the company says 110 million people use it every day. The number of daily users, 13 and under on the platform, has grown to nearly 40 million. Now, unlike traditional gaming platforms, Roblox is a massive interconnected ecosystem where users can both play and create their own virtual worlds and games, a kind of online universe made up of millions of user-generated experiences. Users can create avatars, socialize, explore, build, and even earn money by selling virtual items or game access using the platform's own currency, Robux. It's essentially a creator economy inside of a metaverse of entertainment, social interaction, and e-commerce. From brands building virtual stores to movie studios hosting immersive events. And for many players, Roblox is a much more expansive experience than simply gaming. Roblox has recently come under fire, though, for allegedly allowing predators to gain access to children. This week, Florida's attorney general issued criminal subpoenas to the company, calling it a quote, breeding ground for predators. Two weeks ago, Kentucky's attorney general joined Louisiana lawmakers and the 30 plus families filing lawsuits against the mega popular gaming platform. And critics allege that this platform allows predators access to groom and target children. One lawsuit, for example, alleges that an adult predator posing as a 16 year old befriended a 13 year old boy on Roblox in the platform's popular pet simulator game. The parent told us that he was lured to discord where the predator offered the teen Robux gift cards in exchange for sexually explicit photos. The perpetrator pleaded guilty to felony child endangerment and the boy's family has told us it's suing to hold Roblox and discord accountable for allegedly allowing this connection. Now, Roblox does offer parental controls and we went to their headquarters to ask about these safety issues. And Roblox chief safety officer Matt Kaufman told me the company does not allow image sharing in filtered chats and has rolled out over a hundred safety features this year, including age estimation and increased chat monitoring to what he says, protect all users. Until recently, not all Roblox players though, have been age checked. By the end of this year, the company says the new age estimation technology will be required for all users to communicate within Roblox. And currently any communication between adult users and those users between 13 and 17 is prohibited unless it's a real life confirmed relationship that can be proven. As for discord, discord told CBS news, it does not comment on pending litigation, but in a statement said that it is deeply committed to safety and working to prevent the spread of sexual exploitation and grooming. As for additional safety measures, what can you do about this? Roblox as well as child online safety organizations have recommended that parents make their own accounts to monitor the spending and friend lists in the platform and talk to your kid about overall digital safety. Think about red flags, talk about things like being asked to switch platforms or when you get offered money or gift cards, all of that stuff is super important to talk about. For CBS news, I'm Joleen Kent.

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