Children’s advocacy groups ask FTC to investigate Roblox

Two child safety advocacy groups are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the gaming platform Roblox, alleging the company is committing “unfair and deceptive” acts, risking kids’ safety and well-being. In a complaint filed Wednesday with the FTC, Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) and a host of other advocacy groups asked FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson and commissioner Mark Meador to determine whether Roblox violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. Section 5 bans “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce,” according to the FTC. “Roblox’s engagement-maximizing design features, virtual currency system, and voice and text chat communication features are developmentally inappropriate for the platform’s massive young user base and pose a substantial risk of harm,” the groups wrote in the 86-page complaint. A spokesperson for Roblox said the firm “strongly disputes these claims.” “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,” the spokesperson added. Roblox is facing dozens of lawsuits over its kids’ safety practices, including their age verification methods and content moderation, which multiple states argue expose kids to abusive or sexual content. Multiple states’ attorneys general have reached settlements with the company, which has rolled out a series of changes in the wake of allegations. Much of the complaint focuses on Roblox’s virtual currency, Robux. The groups claim users have to navigate a “complex system of conversion rates and bundled pricing,” that makes it more difficult for a user to discern how much actual money they are spending on this. “By pushing young users to make purchases through a complex system of layered virtual currencies, Roblox is able to abstract, obscure, and wildly inflate the true cost ofin-game items,” the complaint states. The Roblox spokesperson noted most games on Roblox are free to play and users are “not required to purchase” the digital currency. According to Roblox, 1.4 percent of its 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,” the spokesperson added. The complaint also took aim at Roblox’s chat features and communications as well as its age verification processes. Roblox began requiring age checks for all players to access chat, which is also not encrypted. Image or video sharing is not allowed, and the platform offers parental controls for monitoring their kids’ activity and purchase history. Roblox will roll out age-based accounts next month that will match users to specific games approved for their age group.