Louisiana is suing the popular children's video gaming site Roblox, alleging the company doesn't do enough to protect children from predators.
"It created and perpetuated an online environment where child predators thrive," Republican Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said during a press conference in Livingston Parish.
Roblox is wildly popular, especially among pre-teens, reporting more than 100 million daily users for the first time ever during the second quarter.
It's stock has more than doubled this year and the company received its first investment-grade rating this week after S&P Global Ratings upgraded the firm.
But Murrill alleged the company, which allows users to interact with one another:
∎ "Has and continues to facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the sexual exploitation of Louisiana’s children.
∎ "Knowingly and intentionally fails to implement basic safety controls to protect child users from predators.
∎ Knowingly and intentionally fails to provide notice to parents and child users of its dangers."
“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana," Murrill said in a statement. "Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue and profits over child safety.
"Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger poised to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home.”
Murrill said the company's lack of safety measures make for easy access for predators to interact with children on the site.
"Because there is no age minimum and requirement to verify age or parental permission once you sign-up, users can easily say they are younger or older than their actual age - allowing child predators to pose as children and for children to bypass any age requirement," Murrill said in the press release.
Murrill displayed signs that read: "Roblox prioritizes profits over child safety."
Murrill said she believes Louisiana is the first state to sue Roblox, but similar lawsuits have been lodged against the company by parents who accuse the company of not doing enough to safeguard children.
Last week a Georgia mother and her 9-year-old son filed a lawsuit in DeKalb County, alleging Roblox is a "hunting ground for child-sex predators."
USA Today Network is seeking comment from Roblox.
More: Here's what you need to know about Louisiana's new cell phone law
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana files lawsuit against Roblox amid online child safety concerns
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