Family sues Roblox, alleges the online gaming platform enabled child trafficking

By Marcus McIntosh

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — The online gaming platform Roblox, known for its expansive collection of games, has come under scrutiny following allegations that it facilitated child trafficking.

A lawsuit filed by a central Iowa family claims a minor, identified as D.H., was trafficked across multiple states.

The lawsuit contends the girl met a 37-year-old man on the platform, who was pretending to be a teen.

The lawsuit claims the minor was groomed and kidnapped from her West Des Moines home.

Her parents reveal they were unaware of the dangers their child faced through the seemingly harmless game.

This incident has prompted widespread concern over safety issues on gaming platforms.

Derrick Probasco, a gaming enthusiast who spoke to KCCI at Rez Blue in Des Moines, expressed his deep disappointment regarding the event.

“That’s despicable of despicable,” Probasco said.

He also highlighted how predatory behaviors within online games can be tackled by fostering awareness and precaution among players and their families.

Probasco shared practical advice to protect children from online predators.

He emphasized the importance of keeping gaming interactions limited to the platform itself.

“Just need to make sure that you know when to stop,” Probasco said. “Don’t take it outside the game. Don’t start adding them on different platforms.”

He underscored that avoiding personal connections beyond the boundaries of the game is crucial for internet safety.

Additionally, Probasco demonstrated how parents can take proactive steps to monitor their children’s activities on Roblox.

He recommended linking a child’s account to a parent’s settings to restrict access to inappropriate games and disable certain features, such as microphones.

“It’s, boom, right then and there,” he said, emphasizing the ease with which parents can maintain control over their child’s digital environment.

The family’s lawsuit accuses Roblox of misrepresenting itself as a safe platform for children.

When asked for a response, Roblox’s press office sent the following statement, “As a policy, we cannot comment on pending litigation, but Roblox is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of our community, with tens of millions having positive experiences every day. Protecting children is a top priority, and we invest significant resources in advanced safety technology, including a combination of machine learning and human moderation teams working 24/7 to detect and address inappropriate content and behavior. This includes attempts to share personal information or direct users off platform where safety standards and moderation may be less stringent than ours.”

The suit is seeking compensatory, exemplary and punitive damages, along with interest and the cost of the lawsuit, which includes attorneys’ fees.

Online safety tools

Roblox does have a page outlining ways it says protects its community, including parental controls.

Parents can set limits on screen time, content maturity, spending limits and privacy. Content that may be too mature for certain ages is also labeled in the app. It says there are also strict chat filters for users under the age of 13. You can find that information here.

Discord, an instant messaging and social platform, is also popular with young kids and teens.

It also offers some parental control, through the user settings.

Discord servers are private, invite-only groups, so it encourages parents to encourage their children not to accept requests from people they do not know. To learn more, visit Discord’s safety page.

Snapchat is a picture messaging app that’s also popular with younger people.

The app requires new users to be at least 13 when they create an account. Like all Snapchat accounts, teen accounts are private by default. Snapchat also flags and reports any explicit images that may depict minors.

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