A trial against the Roblox video game was opened on Tuesday 4 October. The company is accused of allowing the sexual and financial exploitation of a Californian boy by adult men. The lawsuit, filed in the San Francisco Superior Court, also targets Snapchat, Meta and Discord.
The girl was 11 at the time of the Roblox incident
According to the survey, the girl born in 2009 started using Roblox at the age of nine or ten. The lawsuit shows that in early 2020, the 11-year-old girl allegedly came into contact with adult men through gambling.
None of the companies involved requested parental consent and Discord did not verify the victim’s age. However, according to the lawsuit, social networks say they don’t allow users under the age of 13.
The Roblox predators allegedly lured the girl by making him communicate on Discord and signing up for Snapchat and Instagram. During their exchanges, the men forced the girl to drink and abuse prescription drugs and to send sexual photos. Apparently, one of the men also asked the girl to send him some money.
According to the appeal, the distraught girl suffered from serious health problems, even attempted suicide and had to be hospitalized.
Discord denies having zero tolerance on these issues
The victim and the mother complain that “companies have not taken measures to ensure the safety of minors using their platforms and that Snapchat and Instagram have promoted addiction in children”. They ask for indeterminate compensation for damages.
It is not the first time that large platforms have been accused of similar acts in court. Meta, who has already been the subject of dozens of such lawsuits, declined to comment. Snapchat and Roblox have yet to respond. For Discord, a spokesperson said Reuters that the company has a “zero tolerance policy for anyone who endangers or sexualizes children,” but declined to comment directly on the cause.
