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Photo: New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes; co-sponsor of the New York Children’s Online Safety Act; via Wikipedia.
New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes joined child protection advocates and parents to call for immediate action as reports of child sexual abuse and exploitation on Roblox continue to grow. The warnings come as a series of troubling incidents unfold across multiple states and abroad, raising urgent questions about safety on one of the most popular gaming platforms for young children, a press release from Gounardes’ office stated yesterday.
In recent weeks, Kentucky’s Attorney General warned that Roblox had become a playground for predators. A Florida family alleged that their child was coerced into sending sexually explicit content. A twelve year old New Yorker filed a lawsuit after being sexually exploited on the platform. These alarms are occurring against a backdrop where more than 40 percent of Roblox users report being under thirteen years old.
Roblox disclosed over 13,000 child exploitation incidents in 2023 and responded to more than 1,000 information requests from law enforcement. Independent researchers found they could not create a test account under the name Jeffrey Epstein because the name and more than 900 variations had already been taken. The same researchers were able to access games referencing Epstein as well as more than 600 games referencing Diddy, even while logged in as a child. One research firm described Roblox as an environment exposing minors to grooming, pornography, violent content and abusive speech.
These issues extend far beyond gaming sites. Across online platforms, adults can obtain children’s personal information and lure them into private chats within minutes. Globally, an estimated 300 million children have experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse, and reports of child sexual abuse material recently surged to more than 36 million per year.
Some companies have attempted to adopt privacy focused settings for young users. Advocates argue these efforts are inconsistent, voluntary, and insufficient, especially given the lack of strong age verification across the industry.
The New York Children’s Online Safety Act seeks to address these gaps by requiring platforms to adopt commercially reasonable age assurance methods so companies know the actual ages of their users. The bill would also require private chat features to be turned off by default for minors unless a parent opts in. Children’s profiles would be automatically private so strangers cannot view them, and adults could message a child only after a friend request has been accepted, which would require parental approval for users under thirteen. The legislation would also require parental approval for financial transactions on a child’s account and allow parents of younger children to view approved friend lists. The New York Attorney General would have authority to enforce the law and pursue damages of five thousand dollars for each violation.
Senator Gounardes said, “It is a grim reality of the modern internet: the online platforms where our kids spend time are failing to keep them safe from predators. It is past time to act. My bill protects kids from adults who seek to exploit them, while taking the onus off overwhelmed parents and putting it where it belongs: on Big Tech. From toys to food to cars, we regulate all sorts of products to keep children safe. There is no reason online platforms should be different. By creating these commonsense protections, we can send a clear message that New York will always prioritize our kids safety over Big Tech’s profits.”
James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said the bill builds on recent wins for child safety in New York by requiring platforms with private chat features to implement accurate age assurance and keep predators from contacting minors. Julie Scelfo, Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction, said parents across the country are exhausted by the constant risk that children face online and emphasized that companies like Roblox have failed to implement even basic protections. She said the bill would help ensure that parents know who their children are communicating with and what they are exposed to.
Shelby Knox of ParentsTogether Action called the legislation essential because voluntary measures have not prevented thousands of annual exploitation cases. She said parents should not have to monitor every moment their child is online to compensate for unsafe product design. Erich Mische, CEO of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, called the internet a digital highway with no guardrails and said policymakers can no longer allow Big Tech to leave children unprotected. He urged lawmakers across the country to follow New York’s lead.
