Oklahoma child internet safety expert speaks to dangers of Roblox

An Oklahoma expert in child internet safety spoke with News 9 about the dangers of a popular gaming platform, Roblox, on Wednesday. 

Game makers released Roblox in 2006. Users can play games alone or with others. It’s free, although there is an in-game currency called “Robux.” 

The platform is particularly popular amongst kids and teens, which has drawn global safety concerns. 

Roblox is at the center of hundreds of lawsuits filed around the country – accused of not protecting its young users from internet predators. 

An Oklahoma mother recently filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming her daughter was sextorted on the platform. 

Louisiana’s attorney general sued Roblox last month, calling it “the perfect place for pedophiles” due to the lack of safety protocols. 

In Iowa, a family sued Roblox, claiming a 13-year-old girl was kidnapped and sexually abused by a man she met on the platform. 

Roblox declined to comment on pending litigation for both cases. 

Several Oklahoma families told News 9 that Roblox is banned in their households. 

Some parents we spoke with allow it. 

The parents who allow it said they closely monitor their children, and some even play the game with their kids. 

One parent, Heather Hanneman, said she has four kids and chose to embrace Roblox – with caution. 

“They probably get so annoyed with me because I constantly remind them that those are not their real friends. Real friends are people that you know in real life and that you’re actively involved with every day,” Hanneman explained. 

She said she actively plays on the platform with her kids and closely monitors their messages. 

"I also tell them when they're playing together, ‘Do not call each other by their names. Do not call her your sister. Don't give any indication of where you live or any personal information.’" 

Not all parents have the capacity to play with their children and monitor Roblox. 

What do the experts say about Roblox? 

"It's important that parents understand what the app is and how it works. It might not be the parents' forte to play an online video game but make them be in the same room with the parent while they're playing the game,” said Major Adam Flowers with the Canadian County Sheriff's Office. 

Major Flowers said children may show signs of being sextorted or enticed, like failing grades and wanting a lot of private time. 

"Common things are children being withdrawn, makeup changes, wardrobe changes,” he listed. 

He added that prevention starts with parents. 

"If you don't stop the enticement or the exploitation, it creates a lifelong trauma to the child, and this trauma doesn't go away. Even with counseling, they have to relive the trauma." 

Major Flowers said he has seen children being exploited online from ages 8 to 17, and reiterated that parents act as the first line of defense against online predators. 

The Sheriff’s Office also said it has seen predators use Robux to exchange for things like nude photos from children, which was the case in the Oklahoma lawsuit. 

In a response to that lawsuit, Roblox said it is “deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users, and safety is a top priority.” 

Roblox continued, saying it has “rigorous safeguards” in place to prevent inappropriate content and behavior. 

For instance, users can’t share personal information, links or images. 

Having sexual conversations on the platform can cause individuals to get banned. 

Parents of kids under 13 can access accounts to control what content their child can see and review friends on the platform. 

Roblox said it wants to expand age checks for all users who use the platform’s chat features. 

As it stands today, in-game messaging is banned for users under 13. Users can get their ages checked on the platform by uploading a selfie and letting Roblox estimate their age. 

Those 13 and older can also use an ID to verify their age. 

Attorneys representing the Oklahoma family said this is a “promising step, but families deserve more than broad assurances.” 

They continued, saying: “New technology alone will not rebuild trust with hundreds of families we represent who have experienced firsthand how predators exploit their weaknesses in these systems.” 

Roblox reported it has 111 million daily active users this year. 

In 2023, the company reported that more than half of its users were over 13 years old.