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Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the popular online gaming platform fails to adequately protect children from predators.Hilgers, a Republican, announced the lawsuit Wednesday, saying millions of children across the United States use the platform daily and warning that they may be at risk.”There may be no bigger, more less-secure online playground for predators in the entire world,” Hilgers said.According to the attorney general, up to two-thirds of U.S. children between the ages of 9 and 12 use Roblox, an online platform where users create and share games, referred as experiences.”The first thing that is wrong with Roblox is that they are that kids are inundated with terrible content that they shouldn’t have,” Hilgers said. “The second is that they are also exposed to predators.”Hilgers referenced a federal lawsuit filed last year out of Adams County, Nebraska. “A John Doe, his experience having a predator who groomed him, enticed him and eventually sexually assaulted him right here in Nebraska,” Hilgers said.READ MORE: ‘We want accountability’: Nebraskan sues Roblox over child predator allegationsHilgers argues that the cases of predation stem from the company’s failure to implement stronger age verification measures and its allowance of user anonymity. Nebraska joins several other states, including Texas, Florida and Iowa, in filing lawsuits against the company. Hilgers said protecting children online is a top priority for his office and predicted additional states could take similar action in the coming months.“We’re seeking penalties under our penalty power,” he said. “We will absolutely seek restitution for customers who have been harmed.”RELATED COVERAGE: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird sues online gaming company RobloxThe chief safety officer at Roblox, Matt Kaufman, shared a statement with KETV on Wednesday, saying the company shares Hilger’s commitment to keeping kids safe. Kaufman said the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works.””Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we strengthen our protections every day,” Kaufman said, in part. “In our ongoing efforts to help keep our community safe, we prohibit user-to-user image and video sharing, utilize rigorous filters to block personal information from being shared, and enforce global age-based settings that limit younger users to chatting with peers by default. We take swift action against anyone who violates our rules, and we work closely with law enforcement to support investigations and help hold bad actors accountable.”Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the popular online gaming platform fails to adequately protect children from predators.
Hilgers, a Republican, announced the lawsuit Wednesday, saying millions of children across the United States use the platform daily and warning that they may be at risk.
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“There may be no bigger, more less-secure online playground for predators in the entire world,” Hilgers said.
According to the attorney general, up to two-thirds of U.S. children between the ages of 9 and 12 use Roblox, an online platform where users create and share games, referred as experiences.
“The first thing that is wrong with Roblox is that they are that kids are inundated with terrible content that they shouldn’t have,” Hilgers said. “The second is that they are also exposed to predators.”
Hilgers referenced a federal lawsuit filed last year out of Adams County, Nebraska.
“A John Doe, his experience having a predator who groomed him, enticed him and eventually sexually assaulted him right here in Nebraska,” Hilgers said.
READ MORE: ‘We want accountability’: Nebraskan sues Roblox over child predator allegations
Hilgers argues that the cases of predation stem from the company’s failure to implement stronger age verification measures and its allowance of user anonymity.
Nebraska joins several other states, including Texas, Florida and Iowa, in filing lawsuits against the company. Hilgers said protecting children online is a top priority for his office and predicted additional states could take similar action in the coming months.
“We’re seeking penalties under our penalty power,” he said. “We will absolutely seek restitution for customers who have been harmed.”
RELATED COVERAGE: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird sues online gaming company Roblox
The chief safety officer at Roblox, Matt Kaufman, shared a statement with KETV on Wednesday, saying the company shares Hilger’s commitment to keeping kids safe. Kaufman said the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works.”
“Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we strengthen our protections every day,” Kaufman said, in part. “In our ongoing efforts to help keep our community safe, we prohibit user-to-user image and video sharing, utilize rigorous filters to block personal information from being shared, and enforce global age-based settings that limit younger users to chatting with peers by default. We take swift action against anyone who violates our rules, and we work closely with law enforcement to support investigations and help hold bad actors accountable.”
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
