Roblox is facing mounting legal action and child safety warnings around the world, with US attorneys general filing lawsuits and child protection groups urging parents to take the platform seriously. With an estimated two to three million South African children on the platform, the warnings are landing close to home.
A wave of lawsuits in the United States
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit against Roblox on 14 May 2026, accusing the company of marketing itself as a safe space for children while allowing predators to target minors. He said Roblox had failed to implement adequate safeguards.
At least 148 Roblox cases have been consolidated into a federal multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California. Roblox has already agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements with Alabama and West Virginia, paying $12.2 million and $11 million respectively, while committing to improve its child safety features. Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas have also filed lawsuits.
The South African picture
Cybersecurity firm Ubuntu Guard estimates that between two and three million South African children use Roblox. UNICEF research has previously found that one in three South African children are at risk of online violence and exploitation.
South African gaming and tech content creator Grant Hinds has urged parents not to treat Roblox as a babysitter, telling Daily Maverick parents should treat the platform with the same caution they would apply to the physical world.
Rorke Wilson of The Digital Law Company has warned that perpetrators in South Africa could face criminal charges under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act for exposing children to pornography or causing them to commit sexual acts. Platforms can also be held liable under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act if they fail to act responsibly on reports.
What Roblox is doing
The platform has rolled out new safety measures in 2025 and 2026, including AI-assisted facial age estimation, age-grouped chats and stricter controls on voice and text communication. Mandatory facial age checks for chat features are being phased in globally in early 2026.
Practical steps for parents
Child safety experts consistently recommend the same core steps: set a parental PIN so children cannot change settings, restrict communication to friends-only or disable chat for younger users, sit with children while they play, and keep an open line of conversation so they feel safe reporting anything that makes them uncomfortable.
Sources:
Oklahoma Attorney General
Daily Maverick
Ubuntu Guard
Consumer Notice
