Roblox
Flagged · AvoidThe world's largest user-generated gaming platform, used by over 150 million people daily with roughly 40% under age 13, and at the center of a widening legal crisis over child safety, predatory monetization, and exploitation of its young creators.
Last updated June 19, 2026
↓ Skip to 3 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:Human RightsConsumerLaborPrivacy
- Roblox settled with three state attorneys general for $35.8 million over child safety failures, with West Virginia's AG publicly stating "Roblox, for a long time, was not a safe place for kids." As of June 2026, 162 federal lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation by families alleging the platform's minimal sign-up requirements and delayed safety features allowed adult predators to freely contact and groom children.
- Child safety advocacy groups filed a formal complaint urging the FTC to investigate Roblox for using layered virtual currencies and gambling-like design features to obscure real-world spending from children. One parent discovered his 10-year-old daughter had spent over $7,000 on the platform in two months despite attempts to impose spending limits.
- A federal class action filed in May 2026 accuses Roblox of violating U.S. and California child labor laws by profiting from the unpaid or underpaid work of minors, including an 11-to-13-year-old who claims he worked over 40 hours per week doing game design and scripting without a work permit or real wages. The company's own Studio head acknowledged the practice by saying "you can say, 'Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labour.'"
- Florida's Attorney General sued Roblox in December 2025 for alleged violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), alleging the platform tracks users' identifying data including IP addresses and device signatures immediately upon app download, before any account creation or parental consent. The complaint also alleges Roblox misrepresented its platform as safe for children while systematically failing to implement age verification.
Ethical alternatives
Gaming & Creative Play
Luanti (formerly Minetest)
Free and open-source sandbox game engine with no in-app purchases, no virtual currency, and no social chat with strangers by default.
💻 Open Source📚 Free Resource
Visit →
Scratch
Free coding and creativity platform from the nonprofit Scratch Foundation, used by over 100 million kids to safely build games and animations.
💚 Non-Profit📚 Free Resource💻 Open Source
Visit →
Code.org
Nonprofit platform offering free, structured coding courses for kids starting at age 4, with no in-game currency or social chat.
💚 Non-Profit📚 Free Resource
Visit →Common Questions
- Is Roblox safe for kids?
- Roblox settled with three state attorneys general for $35.8 million in 2026 over child safety failures, and 162 federal lawsuits remain pending from families whose children were targeted by predators on the platform. The platform's simple sign-up process historically required only a username and birthday, making it easy for adults to pose as children and contact minors.
- Why should I avoid Roblox?
- The most common concerns are child predator access, a deceptive virtual currency system that obscures real spending for young users, and a federal lawsuit filed in 2026 alleging the company profited from the unpaid labor of children as young as 11. Multiple state attorneys general and Florida's AG have taken legal action against the company over child safety and privacy violations.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Roblox?
- Luanti (formerly Minetest) is a free, open-source sandbox game with no in-app purchases or predatory currency. Scratch, run by an independent nonprofit, lets kids build games and animations safely. Code.org offers free, structured coding courses for kids starting at age 4.