Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is suing Roblox for “blatantly ignoring” safety laws and “deceiving parents” about the dangers the online video game platform poses to young people.
In a post on social network he said Roblox is a “breeding ground for predators,” accusing Roblox of putting “pixelated pedophiles and corporate profits” above the safety of Texas children.
The lawsuit adds to the legal challenges related to online security and online predators facing the gaming giant, which has tens of millions of daily active users.
Roblox told the BBC it was “disappointed” it was being sued on the grounds of “misleading and sensational statements”.
A company spokesperson said in a statement that it shares Paxton's commitment to keeping children safe online and that the company has taken steps to eliminate abusers and protect its users.
Roblox, which is especially popular among children, operates a huge online platform where users can play alone or with friends.
The platform is aimed at families and offers a variety of educational games that teach subjects such as coding, physics and problem solving.
Users are also offered developer tools to create their own games, a feature that has led to some violent and sexual content appearance in Roblox.
Another feature that allows users to log into servers and interact with strangers online has also been criticized for potentially exposing young players to dangerous people.
Parents and children have expressed concerns about Roblox, saying they have seen disturbing content or subject to violence on the platform.
Paxton called on the company to do more to protect children from the “sick and twisted freaks hiding behind the curtain.”
“Any corporation that abuses children will face the full force of the law,” he said in a statement on X.
Texas joins the US states of Kentucky and Louisiana, which have also sued Roblox over potential harm to children.
Dave Baszucki, chief executive of Roblox, previously told the BBC that parents who are uncomfortable with their children playing games on the platform shouldn't let them use it.
“It sounds a little counterintuitive, but I always trust parents to make their own decisions,” Mr. Basuki said.
In recent years, Roblox has introduced features to tighten age verification and safety for young players.
The platform said it is implementing technology to assess a player's age using video selfies and other measures before they are allowed to chat on Roblox.
Roblox also announced last year that it would prohibit children under 13 from messaging others on the platform unless a parent or guardian gives permission.
Roblox is banned in some countries, including Turkey due to concerns about child exploitation.
The platform came under scrutiny in Singapore in 2023 after the government said a self-radicalized teenager had joined Roblox servers dedicated to ISIS.
The 16-year-old, who was one of two youths detained at the time, joined Roblox servers that replicated real-life conflict zones such as those in Syria, the Singapore government said.
