FTC urged to investigate Roblox over child safety and spending concerns

• Complaint alleges unfair and deceptive practices in Roblox economy.
• Campaigners cite gambling-like features and engagement-driven design.
• Roblox says platform is built for fun and connection, not engagement traps.

Roblox is facing renewed scrutiny after advocacy groups asked the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the platform over alleged “unfair and deceptive” practices affecting children.

The complaint was filed by Fairplay and the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation, claiming that children as young as five are being exposed to risks, including contact from strangers and pressure to spend money through Roblox’s in-game systems.

The groups raised concerns about chat features, in-game purchases and what they described as “engagement-maximising design features", including daily reward streaks and social comparison mechanics. 

"The platform is particularly popular with minors, especially children under 13 (according to Roblox policy, a child only needs to be 5 years old to create an account)," read the Fairplay letter.

"At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Roblox claimed that two-thirds of all children ages 9-12 and one-third of all children under 16 used the platform. More recently, the company estimated that approximately 40% of its 82.9 million daily active users were under the age of 13."

Fairplay added: "Roblox controls the design and functionality of its platform, so this Request for Investigation focuses solely on Roblox Corporation itself, and not the decisions or potential liability of any individual developer. 

High spending case

The filing argued that Roblox’s virtual currency system, Robux, is overly complex for children to understand and makes it difficult to track real-world spending. In one case cited, a parent reportedly said their 10-year-old daughter spent more than $7,000 in two months.

Roblox has rejected the allegations, saying the platform is “built for fun and connection, not short-term engagement,” and that only 1.4% of its 132 million daily active users were paying users in Q1 2026. The company also said it has introduced measures such as blocking adult-child chat and age-estimation tools. 

However, campaigners argue risks remain, particularly around grooming, inappropriate content and exploitation through chat systems. The FTC has not confirmed whether it will launch a formal investigation.

"While the experiences where children play and interact on the platform are designed and run by third-party developers, the ultimate responsibility for the unfair and deceptive acts and practices described in this Request for Investigation lies with Roblox," Fairplay wrote.

"Roblox Corporation provides the foundation upon which all Roblox developers’ experiences are built. It is responsible for all of the capabilities offered to developers through Roblox Studio, and it touts all of the platform’s key features to those developers.

"Further, its microtransaction-driven framework creates economic pressure on those developers, leading to design decisions that often compromise safety."

Earlier this month, we wrote about why the Savvy and Roblox deal hits differently in Saudi Arabia. The partnership also supported the first nationwide edition of the Play to Learn competition for middle and high school students in Saudi Arabia.