Online child safety campaigners, including bestselling author Jonathan Haidt, have called on the Trump administration to investigate Roblox, the gaming platform used by 150 million people daily, many under 13.
Haidt's Anxious Generation Movement, Fairplay, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation filed a dossier with the Federal Trade Commission, accusing Roblox of unfair trade practices. They claim its design features maximize engagement at the expense of children's safety, exposing them to sexual content and harmful adults, while its virtual currency Robux monetizes their lack of impulse control.
Roblox offers millions of user-generated games and chat features, allowing, for example, nine-year-olds to interact with 16-year-olds. The complaint follows a California jury ruling that Meta and YouTube designed addictive products harming young people.
Roblox disputes the claims, stating its platform is designed for fun and connection, not short-term engagement. It notes direct chat is off by default for users under nine, and voice chat is restricted to those 13 and older.