Roblox loses court bid to dismiss Los Angeles child safety lawsuit

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has rejected Roblox's attempt to dismiss a child safety lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County, clearing the way for the case to move forward.

Judge Dean Kitchens ruled that neither Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act nor First Amendment protections shield the company from the county's claims. The judge found that allegations about Roblox's age verification practices do not involve third-party content and therefore fall outside Section 230's scope. He also determined that decisions around age verification are not expressive features protected by the Constitution.

Los Angeles County filed the lawsuit in February, alleging that Roblox failed to adequately verify user ages, allowing children and adults to interact with limited oversight. The county claims this contributed to increased child sex trafficking and exploitation while the company misled consumers about its safety practices and created a public nuisance.

Roblox has introduced nationwide changes in response, including facial age checks for chat access, age-based accounts and expanded parental controls. The company has also settled investigations in Alabama, West Virginia and Nevada for more than $30 million, implementing changes to children's access to gaming and chat functions.

Arkansas filed a similar public nuisance lawsuit against Roblox and Discord in June, signaling broader regulatory pressure on the platform.