"There's a challenge facing the owners of virtually every public online platform: how do you make sure that the people using this service are who they say they are and are utilizing their platform in good faith? Online spaces can lead to lasting friendships and romantic relationships; they can also result in abuse, harassment and death. And the latest controversy involving one such space involves the online game Roblox.As Eli Tan reports at The New York Times, the popular game has been sued in a case involving the wrongful death of a child. (This is not the only reason Roblox has come under pressure lately.) Becca Dallas is suing the game as a result of the death by suicide of her son Ethan, whose death at the age of 15 followed an older man using the platform to harass and blackmail him. Police believe that the man who likely deceived and abused Ethan online had previously been convicted for possessing child pornography."
"This is not the only lawsuit Roblox is currently facing. The Times reports that over 20 suits have been filed against the company in federal court this year alone. In April, Florida's attorney general, James Uthmeier, requested information from Roblox about its moderation and safety policies."There are concerning reports that this gaming platform, which is popular among children, is exposing them to harmful content and bad actors," Uthmeier said at the time. "We are issuing a subpoena to Roblox to uncover how this platform is marketing to children and to see what policies they are implementing - if any - to avoid interactions with predators.""
"Later in the year, Roblox announced that it was overhauling its age-verification systems. That hasn't necessarily solved its problems, as WIRED's David Gilbert and Megan Farokhmanesh noted in August. Gilbert and Farokhmanesh observed that the same things that make Roblox popular, including its open-endedness, also make it a hub for people with ill intent."
A popular online game is facing multiple lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny tied to harms occurring on its platform. A wrongful-death suit alleges a 15-year-old was harassed and blackmailed by an older user, with police saying the alleged abuser had prior convictions for child pornography. More than 20 federal lawsuits have been filed against the company this year, and a state attorney general issued a subpoena about moderation, safety, and marketing to children. The company announced an overhaul of age-verification systems while observers warned that the platform's open-ended design can attract bad actors.
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