Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is suing the on-line gaming and messaging platforms Roblox and Discord alleging they fail to protect children from predators.
A statement from the attorney general says the companies “know full well that numerous predatory sex criminals have used these platforms to contact and lure their victims. And yet, they continue promoting themselves as safe for children.”
Rokita wrote, “this is more than reckless.”
The suit says Roblox “is fully aware that grossly inappropriate, sexually explicit, and dangerous experiences pervade” the platform.
It accuses Discord of “creating an environment in which the sexual exploitation of children is rampant and thriving.”
The suit cites the case of a 17-year-old girl, Haley Buzbee, of Fishers, Indiana, who was found dead after meeting a 39-year-old man following contact on the platforms.
The suit says, “parents have felt the devastating impact of the dark side of these platforms.”
Rokita said the companies are engaged in “a clear and ongoing violation of Indiana’s Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.”
