Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr investigates Roblox over child safety concerns
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has launched an investigation into Roblox, a popular online gaming and chat platform used by millions of children and teens, to determine whether the company is violating state consumer protection laws and putting young users at risk.
Carr's office confirmed the investigation this week, citing repeated reports of child abuse and sexual exploitation that allegedly originated on the platform.
The probe comes after several troubling incidents involving minors. Earlier this year, the Georgia State Patrol recovered two girls who went missing from their Florida home after communicating with a 19-year-old stranger on Roblox. The suspect, who is from Nebraska, is now facing kidnapping and other charges.
In another case in 2023, authorities said an adult posing as a child used Roblox's chat function to contact a 12-year-old boy and later coerced him into sending explicit photos.
"Predators are using online platforms like Roblox to go after our children, and we're fighting back," Carr said. "As a father and Attorney General, keeping kids safe will always be my top priority, and any company that exposes them to harm will be held accountable."
What the investigation includes
Under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act, Carr has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) requiring Roblox to provide information and documents related to child safety on the platform.
The request includes:
- Reports of abuse and safety violations involving Georgia users
- Documents detailing harm experienced by children on the platform
- Communications about the effectiveness of parental controls
- Records concerning chat and game moderation capabilities
- Age verification procedures for child users
- Audits or information regarding adult and child interactions
- Reports of criminal activity connected to the platform
- Marketing materials describing the platform's suitability for children
Part of broader online safety push
The Roblox investigation is one of several recent actions Carr has taken focused on child online safety.
Earlier this month, Carr secured the conviction of a Hart County man accused of trafficking a 16-year-old girl after targeting her on Snapchat and other online apps.
He also joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act, legislation aimed at requiring online platforms to implement stronger safeguards for users under 17.
Carr has continued defending Georgia's "Protecting Georgia's Children on Social Media Act of 2024" and has called on companies like TikTok and Snapchat to strengthen parental controls.
What happens next
A Civil Investigative Demand does not mean wrongdoing has been proven. It allows the Attorney General's Office to gather information to determine whether the company has violated state law.
In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox said:
"We share Attorney General Carr's commitment to helping keep children safe online. As a platform built with a young audience in mind, Roblox has a history of pioneering industry-leading safeguards designed to monitor for harmful content and proactively block the exchange of images and personal information in chat.
Our commitment to safety has no finish line. In early 2026, we completed the global rollout of mandatory Facial Age Estimation, making Roblox the first major platform to require age checks for all users to access chat features. We take swift action when we identify violations of our rules and work closely with law enforcement to hold bad actors accountable. While no system is perfect, we look forward to working with the Attorney General's office to help keep kids safe online."
CBS News Atlanta will update this story as more information becomes available.
