Litigation Timeline
Roblox Platform Launches Publicly
Roblox Corporation launches its online gaming platform, initially targeting children and teenagers with user-generated content creation tools. The platform allows users to create, share, and monetize game experiences using the proprietary Roblox Studio development environment.
Coordinated State AG Investigations Expand
Attorneys general in California, Texas, New York, Washington, and Illinois coordinate investigations into Roblox's child safety practices. The AGs issue civil investigative demands (CIDs) seeking internal documents related to content moderation staffing, predatory activity reports, DevEx labor practices, and gambling mechanic revenue. This multi-state coordination signals potential enforcement actions and strengthens private litigation leverage.
Developer Exchange (DevEx) Program Introduced
Roblox launches the Developer Exchange program, allowing creators — including minors — to convert Robux earned from their games into real currency. The program's revenue split heavily favors Roblox, which retains approximately 75% of all transaction revenue while paying developers a fraction of the value their content generates.
COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Explosive Growth Among Children
The COVID-19 pandemic and school closures drive a massive surge in Roblox usage among children. Daily active users jump from 19 million to over 40 million in 2020. The platform becomes the primary social space for millions of children — and the primary hunting ground for predators targeting isolated, unsupervised minors.
Roblox Goes Public via Direct Listing at $41.9B Valuation
Roblox Corporation completes a direct listing on the NYSE at a $41.9 billion valuation. The company's S-1 filing acknowledges that a majority of its users are under 16 but provides minimal disclosure about child safety risks, content moderation capabilities, or predatory activity on the platform.
FTC Orders Epic Games to Pay $520M for COPPA Violations
The FTC announces a $520 million settlement with Epic Games for COPPA violations and dark patterns in Fortnite — establishing precedent for enforcement actions against gaming platforms that fail to protect children's privacy and exploit minors through deceptive design. This settlement becomes a benchmark for Roblox liability exposure.
FTC Opens COPPA Investigation into Roblox
The Federal Trade Commission opens a formal investigation into Roblox Corporation for potential COPPA violations, focusing on the platform's collection of personal data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent and the effectiveness of its age verification systems.
Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on Child Safety
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee holds hearings examining child safety on platforms including Roblox. Parents testify about predatory contact with their children, former employees describe understaffed moderation teams, and child safety experts document systematic failures in the platform's safety architecture.
Hindenburg Research Report Exposes Child Exploitation
Hindenburg Research publishes a 77-page investigative report titled "Roblox: Inflated Metrics and Exploitation," documenting inflated user counts, predator access to children, gambling mechanics targeting minors, and child labor through the DevEx program. Roblox stock drops 9% immediately. The report becomes a foundational document in subsequent litigation.
Class Action Lawsuits Filed in California, Texas, and New York
Multiple class action lawsuits are filed against Roblox Corporation in federal courts across California (N.D. Cal.), Texas (S.D. Tex.), and New York (S.D.N.Y.), alleging negligence, product liability, COPPA violations, child labor exploitation, and unjust enrichment. Plaintiffs include parents of children targeted by predators, families who suffered financial losses from Robux gambling mechanics, and teenage developers who worked for below-minimum-wage compensation.
Notable Verdicts & Settlements
Roblox Child Exploitation Class Action (Pending)
VerdictMultiple class action lawsuits filed against Roblox Corporation in early 2025 alleging negligence, product liability, COPPA violations, and child labor exploitation. Cases are in the discovery and motion practice phase. No verdict or settlement has been reached.
FTC v. Epic Games — $520M COPPA/Dark Patterns Settlement
VerdictEpic Games (Fortnite) agreed to pay $520 million to settle FTC charges of COPPA violations and deceptive dark patterns targeting children — the largest gaming enforcement action in FTC history. $275 million covered COPPA violations; $245 million refunded consumers. This settlement establishes a benchmark for Roblox's COPPA liability exposure.
Comparable: K.G.M. v. Meta/YouTube — Social Media Addiction Bellwether
VerdictThe first bellwether trial in social media addiction MDL 3047 began February 10, 2026. TikTok and Snap settled their portions confidentially in January 2026. The trial against Meta/YouTube establishes precedent for holding technology platforms liable for design choices that harm children — directly applicable to Roblox litigation.
Comparable: Doe v. Snapchat — Child Exploitation Verdict
Verdict$107 million jury verdict against Snap Inc. for failing to protect a minor who was sexually exploited through Snapchat's platform. The jury found that Snap's product design enabled the exploitation and that the company failed to implement adequate safety features. This verdict is directly relevant to Roblox predator-access claims.
Comparable: Doe v. Twitter — CSAM Hosting Settlement
VerdictTwitter (now X Corp) settled claims brought by a minor whose child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was hosted on the platform despite multiple removal requests. While the settlement amount is confidential, the case established that platforms can be held liable for negligent content moderation when they have knowledge of harmful material involving minors.
Comparable: In re: Loot Box Litigation — EA Sports FIFA
VerdictClass certification granted in loot box gambling litigation against Electronic Arts for FIFA Ultimate Team mechanics. The court ruled that loot boxes targeting minors could constitute unfair business practices under California law. While still pending, the certification ruling validates the legal theory that randomized in-game purchases are actionable consumer fraud when marketed to children.
Comparable: Google/YouTube COPPA Settlement — $170M
Verdict$170 million FTC settlement with Google/YouTube for COPPA violations — collecting personal information from children watching child-directed content without parental consent. The settlement required YouTube to create a separate kids' experience and implement parental notification. This precedent supports COPPA claims against Roblox for similar data collection practices.
Want the Complete Picture?
View eligibility criteria, settlement information, scientific evidence, and start a free case review.
View Full Roblox Child Exploitation Case Page