Someone has to hold Roblox accountable.
Roblox continues to make headlines. We previously reported on Chris Hansen joining in on the story about Roblox. The platform decided to ban the "predator hunter" Schlep instead of banning predators, which inspired the face of "To Catch A Predator" to create a documentation about the incident.
Law By Mike is most famous for his videos in which he educates about laws and legal rights in an entertaining way, while he renounces complex law jargon. In his most recent video, he has not only criticized the platform, but also says that he will join forces with Schlep and his lawyer to sue Roblox.
The Case
Roblox has recently had 47 million concurrent users, the highest ever recorded on a gaming platform, with most of the users being children. Law By Mike is criticizing the steps the company takes in order to make the platform a safe place.
The company has 3000 Moderators. Compare that to TikTok, which has three times the number of daily users, but 13 times the number of moderators on staff. This is allegedly due to Roblox' focus on growth over safety.
Apparently, Roblox also uses AI moderation, which seems to be faulty and not enough to handle the size of the platform. Employees even admit the tech still misses the subtle signs of unsafe behavior. And while there were more and more reported incidents, Roblox didn't act accordingly.
In fact, eight current and former trusted safety staff described ignored requests for more resources, backlogs of incident reports, and even a manager quitting after promised hires never showed up.
Usually, platforms lean on a law of the Communications Decency Act, which protects them from being sued over what their users post. This is why you don't see YouTube in court for everything someone like Johnny Somali does.
But the lawsuits Roblox is being faced with are not just about what users post. They are about the failings of the company itself.
Lawyers argue Roblox designed the platform in risky ways, marketed it as safe and then ignored clear warning signs.
And this is where Law By Mike wants to support the lawsuits, since the law does not protect Roblox for their misrepresentation. On his own website, "I think I have a case", you can now report your own incident on the platform and get help for your case.
If Roblox loses in court, this could set a precedent in how companies moderate and handle their platforms to ensure child-safety. In fact, Schlep's lawyer has confirmed that they currently have over 800 cases of sexual abuse.
How Roblox Mishandled The Issue
Roblox has been loved by many underage users. When they banned Schlep without addressing the issue of predators on the platform, everyone took a closer look at what's going on.
Had they just cooperated with YouTubers like Schlep, they would have supported and nurtured a community that moderates itself. Funnily enough, Schlep was banned for vigilantism, even though he was working with actual law enforcement.
What are your thoughts on Roblox being sued? Have you had bad experiences on the platform before?