מספר ארגונים בארה"ב דורשים לפתוח בחקירה נגד Roblox

Child safety groups are spotlighting Roblox. They claim that children face sexual and financial harm on the popular gaming platform. NDD's David Lam reports on that. Online gaming platform Roblox faces another lawsuit after recently settling with West Virginia, Alabama, and Nevada. This time, two non-profits, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and Fair Play, are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company. The groups allege that some Roblox features are developmentally inappropriate for its massive young user base. Such features include engagement-maximizing design features, a complex virtual currency system, and voice and chat features that could expose young users to sexual exploitation. The lawsuit follows settlements in which the company agreed to incorporate various online safety measures. In April, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced a first-of-its-kind settlement with Roblox. Part of this agreement, all users must undergo age verification to ensure children only have access to age-appropriate content on the Roblox platform. Roblox has committed to using age estimation technology and government-issued ID for age assurance. In February, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against Roblox, accusing it of failure to protect children from inappropriate content and online predators. Roblox denies the allegations. Roblox reports more than 151 million daily active users. The company says over 40% of its users are under 13, and nearly 75% of U.S. children ages 9 to 12 play regularly. A Roblox spokesperson said, Our platform is designed to provide a positive, healthy and enjoyable experience. We build for fun and connection, not short-term engagement. While no system can be perfect, we have a set of safeguards designed to support a safe and civil environment. In the latest case, the nonprofits are asking the FTC to investigate whether Roblox is violating FTC regulations.