Child safety groups urge FTC investigation of Roblox

OAN Staff Jenna Lee
4:33 PM – Wednesday, May 20, 2026

A pair of prominent child safety organizations formally requested a federal inquiry into Roblox on Wednesday, arguing the gaming giant aggressively monetizes its platform at the expense of its youngest users, some of whom are only 5-years-old.

The joint complaint, submitted to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and Fairplay, alleges that Roblox runs afoul of Section 5 of the FTC Act. This federal statute outlaws deceptive and unfair business practices.

According to the advocacy groups, the company falsely reassures parents that the game is a secure environment while simultaneously leveraging psychological pressure tactics to push kids into making in-game purchases.

To illustrate the severity of the platform’s monetization model, the complaint highlights the case of a 10-year-old girl who managed to burn through more than $7,000 in a span of just two months, bypassing her parents’ direct efforts to restrict her spending.

The filing comes amid a broader debate over how to properly safeguard children online. Speaking to the BBC regarding recent digital protection measures, Drew Benvie — the CEO of social media consultancy Battenhall and founder of the youth safety nonprofit Raise — cautioned that arbitrary age restrictions alone are insufficient, noting that “simply imposing age limits on digital features will only go so far in keeping children safe.”

“While Roblox is rolling out new age-based protection features, young gamers are digital escape artists who easily bypass safety features. What’s needed is greater user and parental awareness of the impact social features in games can have on children, as well as wide scale legislative changes to address addictive or problematic features, not just the digital sticking plaster of age limits,” said Benvie.

The complaint also accuses the gaming platform of failing to prevent predatory contact between adults and children. Heather Lindquist’s 15-year-old son Bodhi was reportedly groomed by predators on Roblox prior to his death in December.

“Parents are doing everything they can to protect their children on Roblox, but it’s not a fair fight. The platform is designed to take advantage of kids’ developmental needs and prey on their vulnerabilities,” said Ashwin Verghese, Fairplay’s communications director.

Beyond the regulatory complaint, the company is fighting massive legal battles in U.S. federal court, where over 140 consolidated lawsuits accuse the platform of failing to prevent the digital exploitation of children.

These legal actions mirror findings from independent researchers, who noted that test accounts registered as minors under the age of 13 were exposed to explicit chat logs and profanity almost immediately upon entering public servers.

Nonetheless, Roblox has pushed back against these assertions. A company spokesperson defended the platform’s architecture, stating, “our platform is designed to provide a positive, healthy and enjoyable experience — we build for fun and connection, not short-term engagement.”

As of right now, the FTC has not confirmed whether the advocacy groups’ petition will trigger a formal federal investigation.

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