FTC Files Complaint Against Roblox Over Child Safety and Spending Practices

(AsiaGameHub) –   Roblox is facing a new complaint from the FTC concerning allegations related to child safety, Robux spending, chat accessibility, and the platform’s overall design for young users.

Good to Know

• Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation submitted the complaint on May 20, 2026.
• The filing urges the FTC to assess Roblox under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
• Roblox disputes the allegations, citing age verification measures, chat restrictions, parental controls, and moderation systems.

Roblox Legal Challenges Expand

Roblox is already contending with over 140 federal lawsuits linked to purported failures in child safety. Attorneys General from Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Arkansas have also filed suits against the company, while Georgia has launched a separate investigation into claims of adult-minor contact originating on the platform.

Now, Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation are calling for FTC intervention. Their complaint, logged under docket 2026-00096, alleges that Roblox may have breached Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive business practices.

The request has garnered support from multiple organizations, including the Center for Digital Democracy, the Consumer Federation of America, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Institute for Families and Technology, The Anxious Generation Movement, Young People Alliance, and ParentsSOS.

Robux Spending Under Scrutiny

Robux, the platform’s virtual currency, is a central focus of the complaint. Users purchase Robux with real money to buy avatar items, access games, support creators, and unlock in-game perks.

The advocacy groups contend that younger players often fail to recognize the real-world value of virtual currency. The filing references a case in which a 10-year-old girl reportedly spent over $7,000 on Roblox within two months after circumventing parental controls.

The complaint further alleges that Roblox employs design elements that encourage prolonged play and normalize spending, placing the company within a broader regulatory debate about youth exposure to virtual currencies, loot-style mechanics, and in-app purchases.

Chat Features Raise Safety Concerns

The safety allegations heavily emphasize real-time text and voice chat capabilities. The complaint asserts that these tools may enable adults to contact minors, while parents may lack sufficient awareness of the associated risks.

Ashwin Verghese, communications director at Fairplay, stated that parents are attempting to “protect their children on Roblox, but it’s not a fair fight.”

Roblox maintains a vast youth user base, with the company reporting over 30 million daily users under 13. Advocacy groups estimate that more than half of all users are under 17, amplifying the significance of every safety-related claim for parents, regulators, and platform partners.

Roblox Highlights 2026 Safety Enhancements

Roblox denies the allegations, emphasizing that U.S. users must verify their age before accessing chat features and that minors are restricted to communicating only with peers within their age group.

The platform also references mandatory Facial Age Estimation for chat access, enhanced parental controls, automated moderation systems, and safeguards that prevent the sharing of personal information in chats. Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman has described safety as “a journey with no finish line.”

Nonetheless, age verification has faced criticism, with reports indicating that pre-verified Roblox accounts appeared for sale on eBay for as little as $4 shortly after the requirement was implemented.

The FTC has not indicated whether it will pursue an investigation, and a spokesperson declined to comment. In 2025, Cognosphere agreed to a $20 million settlement with the FTC over Genshin Impact loot box practices and unclear in-game pricing, serving as a cautionary precedent for gaming companies regarding youth monetization.

Founded in 2004 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, Roblox operates more as a user-driven creation platform than a conventional game, with Robux serving as the backbone of its internal economy.