Roblox accused of violating FTC rules by child safety organizations

Online safety organizations have filed a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), asking the agency to formally assess Roblox's alleged risks to children. 

The Request for Investigation, submitted by child safety nonprofit Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), argues that Roblox's design features and advertising violate portions of the FTC Act in ways that endanger minor users.

"The FTC has the authority to stop Roblox from raking in billions of dollars in profit every year at the expense of our children’s safety and healthy development. We call on the commission to investigate Roblox’s unfair trade practices and acts, and to scrutinize the platform’s compliance with children’s online privacy law," Fairplay policy counsel Haley Hinkle wrote in a press release.

The organizations claim the platform is specifically violating Section 5 of the FTC Act, the federal regulation that prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, including false advertising. 

The letter urges the agency to investigate Roblox's marketing of virtual currency (Robux), its chat and communication tools, and its use of "engagement-maximizing design features" as unfair conduct under Section 5. It argues that Roblox's representation of platform safety features and the developmental appropriateness of Roblox activities is deceptive.

The organizations are also asking the FTC to scrutinize Roblox's compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which governs the online collection of personal information for children under 13. The letter claims the platform gathers a "substantial amount of data" that could be linked to players' usernames.

"Despite our warnings over the years, Roblox refused to make changes to protect children from harm, only recently making some design changes to prevent unknown adults from contacting children," Haley McNamara, executive director of NCOSE, wrote. "Roblox has a history of harm and callousness towards children and concerned parents, and must be investigated by the FTC for the sake of children worldwide."

Other groups, including the Consumer Federation of America, Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation Movement, and ParentsSOS, signed on in support.  

In a statement to Mashable, a Roblox spokesperson said:

Roblox strongly disputes these claims. 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, and clear policies for game creators that require fair treatment of players.

Most games on Roblox are free to play and no-one is required to purchase Robux. In the first quarter of 2026, only 1.4% of our 132 million daily active users were payers on the platform. In addition, we have clear policies prohibiting both actual and simulated gambling, and a set of rules governing how game creators can use gameplay mechanics like paid random items.

Roblox has faced multiple lawsuits filed by individuals, parents, and state attorneys general that allege the platform is not doing enough to protect young users. In 2023, a cohort of families whose children allegedly encountered inappropriate content on the platform filed a class-action lawsuit against Roblox. The claim similarly accused Roblox of "negligent misrepresentation and false advertising," and started a wave of criticism that the child gaming site was enabling child predators. 

This was followed by a slew of lawsuits in 2025, including a Louisiana filing that claimed Roblox intentionally failed to implement safety measures intended to curb child sex abuse materials (CSAM). Texas attorney general Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in November, claiming Roblox flagrantly ignored online safety laws and deceived parents. Paxton has since taken aim at streaming giant Netflix and its data collection policies for child users. 

In response to growing concerns, Roblox has unveiled additional platform safety features, including global age verification and age-gated child accounts for users under 16. Over the past few years, the platform has also introduced linked parent accounts, expanded parental supervision tools, and additional AI-powered chat moderation features.