Roblox
Roblox faces the most severe legal scrutiny of any platform for child safety failures. With 56% of its 151.5 million daily users under age 16, Hindenburg Research labeled it a 'pedophile hellscape.' Nearly 150 lawsuits have been consolidated into a federal MDL, and multiple state AGs have sued. Despite safety features, user-generated content continues to expose children to exploitation.
Failing — inadequate child safety measures, poor transparency, or active resistance to oversight.
24,522
NCMEC Reports (2024)
13,316
NCMEC Reports (2023)
↑ 84.2%
Year-over-Year Change
NCMEC Reports Comparison (2024)
How Roblox's reporting volume compares to other major platforms.
Safety Features Assessment
✓ What They Have
- ✓Chat filtering (restrictive for under-13)
- ✓Age verification and parental PIN controls
- ✓Real-time AI chat monitoring
- ✓Content rating system (2024)
✗ What's Missing or Failing
- ✗Hindenburg Research called it a 'pedophile hellscape'
- ✗User-generated 'condos' contain sexually explicit content
- ✗In-game currency system facilitates exploitation
- ✗56% of users are under 16 (151.5M daily active users)
- ✗84% increase in NCMEC reports year-over-year
- ✗Private messaging enables predator-to-child contact
Lawsuits & Enforcement Actions
MDL No. 3166 — ~148 consolidated cases (N.D. Cal.)
Texas AG sued (Nov 2025)
Iowa AG sued (Dec 2025)
Indiana AG sued (May 2026) — cited death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee
Los Angeles County sued (Feb 2026)
$35.8M in state AG settlements
Platform Comparison
| Platform | Grade | 2024 Reports | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta (Facebook & Instagram) | D | 11,910,365 | ↓ 59.3% |
| C | 1,851,086 | ↑ 33.2% | |
| TikTok | C | 1,359,806 | ↑ 130.3% |
| Google / YouTube | B | 1,175,084 | ↓ 20.1% |
| Snapchat | D | 1,174,698 | ↑ 64.7% |
| Twitter / X | D | 686,176 | ↓ 21.2% |
| Discord | C | 241,354 | ↓ 28.9% |
| Microsoft / Xbox | B | 102,657 | ↓ 27.2% |
What Parents Should Know
Set up parental controls in Account Restrictions — restrict chat and limit games by age rating.
Enable a parental PIN to prevent children from changing safety settings.
Be aware that user-created games (experiences) vary wildly in content and moderation.
Review and enable all available parental controls on this platform.
Have regular conversations with your child about their online activity.
Monitor friend/follower lists and direct messages periodically.