Arkansas Sues Roblox and Discord, Accusing Platforms of Putting Children at Risk

Photo: Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin; via Wikipedia.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has filed a lawsuit against Roblox and Discord, accusing the popular online platforms of misleading parents about child safety and exposing minors to preventable risks, Mountain Home Observer reported.

The lawsuit, filed June 11 in a Los Angeles trial court, claims Roblox and Discord failed to require meaningful age verification or parental consent before minors could create accounts. Arkansas alleges that both companies promoted their platforms as safe while knowing children could be contacted by strangers and moved into private online spaces.

The complaint accuses the companies of unjust enrichment and violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Arkansas Public Nuisance Law.

Roblox and Discord have denied the allegations.

Roblox allows users to create and play games made by other users. The platform is especially popular with children. Discord markets itself as “the social platform for all of gaming” and is commonly used for group chats, private messaging, voice communication, and online communities.

The Arkansas lawsuit argues that the two platforms created a dangerous combination for children.

According to the complaint, Roblox could be used as an initial point of contact, while Discord could then be used for private conversations away from public view. Arkansas alleges that this design made it easier for unsafe interactions to begin on one platform and continue on another.

The state claims both companies failed to use stronger safeguards despite knowing children were active on their platforms.

A major focus of the lawsuit is age verification.

The complaint alleges that neither Roblox nor Discord has done enough to confirm that children are old enough to use certain features or that parents have meaningfully consented to account creation.

Roblox says it believes in “aligning access to games and features with users’ ages.” But the Arkansas complaint claims many children in the state use Roblox, including children under 16 and children under 9.

The lawsuit also criticizes Roblox’s facial recognition process, alleging that children have found ways around it by using avatar images, adult images, or altered appearances.

Discord’s terms of service say users under 13 cannot create accounts. But Arkansas alleges Discord lacks a meaningful system to verify whether a stated birthdate is accurate or whether a parent has approved a child’s account.

In plain English, Arkansas is arguing that the platforms’ safety rules look stronger on paper than they are in practice.

At a news conference, Griffin said Roblox and Discord had years to fix child safety problems but failed to do enough.

“You may think that Roblox and Discord see these problems as a result of a flaw in their product,” Griffin said. “They see it as a feature.”

He accused the companies of choosing revenue growth over child protection.

The lawsuit also points to Roblox’s financial statements and investor comments. According to the complaint, Roblox’s chief financial officer told investors in 2023 that the company expected safety expenses to decrease year after year “as a point of pride.”

Arkansas argues that this statement reflects the company’s priorities at a time when families and regulators were raising concerns about child safety.

Roblox issued a statement saying the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents” how its platform works and ignores safety steps the company has taken.

“Roblox is deeply committed to fostering a safe, healthy, and age-appropriate environment for our community,” the company said.

Roblox also said it recently launched additional child protection measures. According to the company, some chat features now require age verification, and younger users are limited by default to communicating with similarly aged users. Roblox also said it has introduced age-based accounts that automatically direct younger users toward age-appropriate experiences.

Discord also disputed the lawsuit.

The company said the complaint “does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety.”

Discord said its safety systems use technology, human-led investigations, and user reports to identify harmful accounts or spaces.

Arkansas is asking the court to stop Roblox and Discord from advertising their platforms as safe if the state’s allegations are proven.

The complaint also seeks $10,000 per violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, along with attorneys’ fees and other relief.

The lawsuit is still in its early stages. The allegations have not been proven, and both companies will have the opportunity to defend themselves in court.

But the case adds to a growing legal fight over whether online platforms can be held accountable when their design choices allegedly expose children to grooming, exploitation, or unsafe contact from adults.

The Arkansas lawsuit is the latest in a broader wave of legal action involving Roblox and child safety.

In April, Alabama, Nevada, and West Virginia reached settlements with Roblox for more than $11 million each. Other states that have sued Roblox include Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Florida, Iowa, and Tennessee.

More than 100 families have also filed lawsuits alleging Roblox failed to protect children from online grooming and abuse. Those cases have been combined into a single California lawsuit.

The claims vary by case, and Roblox denies wrongdoing. But the broader theme is consistent: families and government officials are asking whether Roblox’s safety systems are strong enough for a platform used heavily by children.

For parents, the Arkansas lawsuit is not just about one company or one app.

It is about how children move across online platforms, how easily strangers may contact them, and whether parental control tools provide enough real protection.

Many parents understand Roblox as a children’s gaming platform. They may understand Discord as a chat app used by gamers. But the lawsuit argues that unsafe users can exploit the connection between public gaming spaces and private messaging platforms.

The case also highlights a practical concern: age limits and safety policies only matter if platforms enforce them in a meaningful way.

Parents do not need to panic. But they should understand that online safety cannot depend only on a platform’s marketing language. It requires active supervision, clear family rules, privacy settings, and awareness of how children may be contacted or moved from one platform to another.