Updated on: May 15, 2026 / 2:39 AM EDT / CBS News

Oklahoma launched a lawsuit against Roblox on Thursday, joining a growing number of states targeting the immensely popular gaming platform for shortcomings in child safety.

"Roblox promoted itself as a secure environment for kids, yet ignored predators who preyed on and abused minors on its site," Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated in a Thursday press release.

The 51-page complaint, submitted in Cleveland County District Court, asserts that Roblox neglected essential safety measures, favoring rapid expansion over protecting children, and enabled "widespread sexual exploitation and abuse of minors throughout Oklahoma and other parts of the U.S."

According to the lawsuit, the platform's structure shields parents from monitoring their child's interactions, exposing young users to "predatory adults" and content featuring violence or sexual themes.

The suit references a September case where an Oklahoma mother took Roblox to court after her 12-year-old daughter was manipulated into sharing explicit images and videos with a man in his 40s who pretended to be a teen on the platform.

In the past year, numerous lawsuits have emerged nationwide, highlighting an online space on Roblox that allegedly enables child exploitation.

A CBS News probe last year uncovered multiple cases of hate speech aimed at minority communities on Roblox, along with numerous swastikas in a single game where players evaded moderation filters.

Oklahoma's action charges Roblox with breaching the state's Consumer Protection Act by misleading users about the actual dangers to children. The state demands civil fines per violation, permanent bans on deceptive tactics, and mandates for robust, enduring safety features.

Roblox reports more than 150 million daily active users, with the lawsuit noting that up to two-thirds of American children aged 9 to 12 maintain accounts there.

On its site, Roblox highlights "robust built-in safeguards and tools," plus collaborations with child safety specialists. Last month, it revealed plans for enhanced parental controls for under-16 users starting in June.

Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman told CBS News the firm employs a comprehensive safety framework, including AI-driven detection, human reviewers, and filters to block personal info sharing.

"We align with Attorney General Drummond's dedication to online child safety," Kaufman remarked. "However, we regret his lawsuit, which mischaracterizes Roblox's operations and overlooks our pioneering, proactive steps to elevate online safety standards."

Roblox claims to be the pioneering online gaming service mandating age verification for chat access and prohibits sharing images or videos in chats.

Kaufman emphasized close cooperation with law enforcement on violations, adding that "no system is flawless," but Roblox continually bolsters defenses. "We anticipate productive collaboration with Attorney General Drummond to safeguard children online," he concluded.

At least nine states, including Oklahoma, have filed suits against Roblox, while three others have secured settlements.

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