Child safety groups want FTC to investigate Roblox

Child safety advocates say the wildly popular gaming platform Roblox could be bad for kids.

Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation have asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether games on Roblox are designed to encourage children to spend an unhealthy amount of time and money on their screens.

The main users of Roblox are young children.

In a letter Submitted to the FTC, the groups argue that Roblox’s engagement-maximizing design features, virtual currency system, and voice and text chat communication features are inappropriate for the platform’s user base and pose a substantial risk of harm.

“Alone or in combination, these three components capitalize on young users’ developmental vulnerabilities, exploit their desire for authentic expression, monetize their lack of impulse control, and transform in-game purchasing power into a form of social status,” the groups note in the letter submitted Thursday to the FTC.

Roblox allows the purchase of virtual assets – clothing and dance moves, for example – which can only be purchased with the platform’s in-game currency, Robux. The platform hides the exchange rate between dollars and in-game currency, leaving young players to navigate a complex system of fluctuating conversion rates that increases the amount of real money players spend, according to the letter.

For example, players can receive more Robux per dollar by purchasing larger bundles of currency or purchasing a “Roblox Premium” subscription, making it harder for kids to make financial calculations on how much they spend on the platform.

The letter noted instances of unexpected Roblox fees, when a parent discovered their daughter had spent over $5,000 on Roblox without realizing she was spending real money.

The letter also presents examples of “scarcity marketing” techniques that increase demand through limited-quantity assets and time-based rewards to drive sales of virtual items, thereby generating a false sense of urgency. Some see it as a brutal sales technique not to be used on children:

“Items available only for a limited time encourage both quick purchases and frequent returning to the platform – sometimes multiple times per day – to avoid missing out on items,” the letter states.

A Roblox spokesperson said the company “strongly disputes these claims. Our platform is designed to provide a positive, healthy, and enjoyable experience – we build for fun and connection, not short-term commitment. While no system can be perfect, we have a set of safeguards designed to support a safe and civil environment, as well as clear policies for game creators that demand fair treatment of players.”

The groups pointed out that third-party games developed on Roblox are designed to profit from in-game purchases and feature “gamble-like” engagement mechanics, such as loot boxes, in which players cannot see what’s inside until after they purchase it — and the value of items varies.

“We have clear policies prohibiting real and simulated gambling, as well as a set of rules governing how game creators can use game mechanics like paid random items,” the Roblox spokesperson said. “Most games on Roblox are free and no one is forced to purchase Robux. As of Q1 2026, only 1.4% of our 132 million daily active users were payers on the platform.”

The letter also alleged that the platform’s voice and text chat features exposed children to sexual content and claimed that recent changes to age checks have not eliminated the possibilities of contact between adults and minors.