Arizona Attorney General (AG) Kris Mayes has filed a Petition for Enforcement against the online gaming platform Roblox as part of the ongoing investigation into its failure to protect minors.
The Context
Roblox, which caters predominantly to kids, has been under investigation for its failure to protect its user base from child predators, exploitation, and graphic sexual or violent content.
AG Mayes previously secured funding to investigate and fight internet crimes against children last October, highlighting a then-current case where an Arizona child was kidnapped by a predator she met online through Roblox.
The new Petition of Enforcement she has filed will compel Roblox to immediately produce critical data and documents addressing the safety of Arizona children currently using the Roblox platform as well as an order holding Roblox in contempt until full compliance is achieved.
What Mayes is Saying
"Roblox has built one of the world’s largest online platforms for children in the world, and Roblox has continually assured parents that the platform is safe," AG Mayes said through a press release. "But the evidence already available to our office indicates a disturbing litany of dangers to Arizona children—ranging from predatory contact to exposure to graphic violent and sexual content. Companies interacting with children must be transparent about the risks associated with their products. The Attorney General's Office will not allow companies to stonewall our efforts to protect Arizona children."
Enforcing Online Safety
The Petition marks the latest in a string of efforts Mayes has taken against online platforms for failing to address their potential harms in recent days, starting with her suit against short-form video giant TikTok last week.
AG Mayes' suit alleges that TikTok engineers its platform to maximize compulsive use of the app among minors and fails to adequately prevent exposure to harmful content.
Then earlier this week, Mayes filed a suit against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for failing to disclose that ChatGPT's features make the chatbot dangerously agreeable and sycophantic in order to keep people, including minors, on the platform.
