The Lanier Law Firm is representing the state of Arkansas in claims against the online companies Roblox Corp. and Discord Inc., alleging that lax moderation, lack of effective age verification and indifference have made the digital platforms a “two-stage predatory pipeline” for child predators. The complaint filed in California state court claims Roblox has failed to properly separate adult from child content or keep adults from contacting children on the platform. According to the filing, child predators are able to migrate vulnerable children to Discord, where they use its unmonitored private messaging system to solicit photographs or meetings.
Less than a week after this Roblox lawsuit was filed, Roblox announced new safety measures the company claims will protect children on the platform.
“I think they are a good first step, but I think that Roblox is clearly in trouble over their past behavior and I’m worried this doesn’t go far enough,” said the firm’s Mark Lanier in an interview on Fox Business News. He also discussed the widespread use of smartphones and the role of parents in controlling and monitoring online access by children.
View the complete interview here.