In the January 1, 2026 premiere of his Apple TV+ show, attorney and social media commentator Mike Mandell used the Roblox lawsuit on Law By Mike to walk viewers through the child safety litigation piling up against the gaming platform. The episode, “Roblox Lawsuit and Celebrity Stunts,” ran about 20 minutes and framed a fight that by mid-2026 spanned more than 160 consolidated federal cases, lawsuits from at least half a dozen state attorneys general, and settlements in three states.
What Law By Mike Covered
Mandell is a Florida-based attorney who built a large following under the name “Law By Mike” before moving to Apple TV+ with a show produced by Play.Works.1Apple TV. Law By Mike The first episode broke down the child safety allegations against Roblox for a general audience and paired the investigation with a lighter segment on legal incidents involving Gordon Ramsay and Dwayne Johnson.2Apple TV. Roblox Lawsuit and Celebrity Stunts
Reporting also indicates that Mandell went beyond commentary and joined with other attorneys representing victims to pursue litigation against Roblox directly. The specific firm and case have not been publicly detailed.3Mein-MMO. YouTuber Law By Mike Sues Roblox
What the Lawsuits Allege
The core accusation running through nearly every case is the same. Plaintiffs say Roblox marketed itself as a safe, child-friendly space while its permissive communication tools, weak age verification, and thin parental controls allegedly let adults contact, groom, and sexually exploit children.4Anapol Weiss. Anapol Weiss Lawsuit Alleges Roblox, Discord, and Snap Enabled Sexual Exploitation of Minor
A representative private case was filed on January 7, 2026, days after the Law By Mike episode aired. A Cook County, Illinois father sued on behalf of his 9-year-old son, alleging an adult predator posed as a child on Roblox, built a fraudulent emotional connection, and manipulated the boy into sending a sexually explicit image. The complaint accused Roblox of creating a “breeding ground for predators” and prioritizing profits over safety.5WTTW News. Cook County Family Suing Roblox Over Sexual Exploitation Allegations6Fox 32 Chicago. Roblox Lawsuit Sexual Predators The filing firm, Dolman Law Group, said at the time it was aware of roughly 45 similar cases nationwide involving predators posing as children on the platform.7WGN TV. Roblox Faces Lawsuit for Alleged Child Sexual Exploitation on Platform
The Federal MDL in California
On December 12, 2025, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered the scattered federal cases centralized in the Northern District of California under the caption In re: Roblox Corporation Child Sexual Exploitation and Assault Litigation, MDL No. 3166. At transfer, 31 actions were pending across twelve federal districts, with 48 additional related cases identified.8U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. MDL-3166 Transfer Order Some of the lawsuits also name Discord Inc., Snap Inc., and Meta Platforms as co-defendants.
Chief Judge Richard Seeborg oversees the proceedings. By mid-2026, the MDL had grown to 162 active cases from families in states including Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. Judge Seeborg has signaled intent to appoint a settlement master, while Roblox is pushing to compel individual cases into private arbitration.9Consumer Notice. Roblox Lawsuit Courts have so far resisted those arbitration efforts, with a California court denying one such motion in November 2025 and a federal court denying another in July 2025.10Anapol Weiss. Ongoing Roblox Litigation
State Attorneys General Suing Roblox
Running parallel to the private MDL is a wave of state enforcement. Each action alleges Roblox deceived parents about the platform’s safety and failed to implement basic protections.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed suit on March 4, 2026, in Adams District Court, alleging violations of the Nebraska Consumer Protection Act and the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The complaint accuses Roblox of a “multiyear charm offensive” that portrayed the platform as safe while allowing user-generated content simulating school shootings, KKK rallies, and virtual strip clubs.11Nebraska Examiner. Nebraska Sues Roblox for Enabling Child Exploitation, Deceptive Safety Practices Hilgers said Roblox “built a multibillion-dollar business on the trust of families, all while creating a playground for predators.”12Nebraska Attorney General. Nebraska Attorney General Hilgers Files Lawsuit Against Roblox
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed suit in Madison Circuit Court in October 2025, describing Roblox as a “hunting ground for child predators” and citing the use of in-game currency to entice children into sending explicit photos.13Kentucky Lantern. KY Attorney General Sues Gaming Platform Alleging Roblox Failed to Protect Children Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed in August 2025, alleging the platform’s lack of age verification and inadequate protocols let predators “thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids.”14ABC7 NY. Louisiana Sues Roblox Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused Roblox of “flagrantly ignoring state and federal online safety laws.”15Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Roblox
In February 2026, Los Angeles County filed a civil action in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. It was the first such action by a California government entity and seeks civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation per day.16Los Angeles County. LA County Sues Roblox for Unfair and Deceptive Business Practices
Settlements Reached So Far
Three states have already resolved their cases as of mid-2026.
Alabama finalized a $12.2 million, four-year agreement in April 2026. It requires Roblox to implement facial-age estimation or government ID checks for chat access by May 1, 2026, block private chats between adults and users under 16 unless the adult is on a parent-approved “trusted friends” list, restrict content for users under 16 to age-appropriate material by July 1, 2026, and deliver enhanced parental monitoring tools by the same date. A breach of key terms could trigger up to $5 million in additional damages. The agreement also includes a most-favored-nation clause entitling Alabama to any better terms Roblox offers another state.17Courthouse News Service. Roblox Agrees to $12.2 Million Child Safety Settlement in Alabama Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall called the terms a “framework that can be mirrored by states across the country.”18Alabama Reflector. Alabama Reaches $12.2 Million Settlement With Roblox
Nevada settled for $12.5 million, with funds directed to children’s programs, a state law enforcement liaison, and a two-year online safety awareness campaign. West Virginia settled for $11 million, paid over multiple years, with funds allocated to safety workshops, a public safety campaign, and a state-based internet safety specialist. West Virginia officials called Roblox a “cooperative negotiation partner.”19NBC News. Roblox Alabama Settlement
The Section 230 Question
Whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields Roblox is the legal hinge running underneath every case. In the Iowa attorney general’s lawsuit, a Polk County judge dismissed claims that sought to hold Roblox responsible for insufficient content moderation and filter bypasses, finding those allegations fell within Section 230 because they essentially asked the company to alter how it publishes third-party content. The same judge let other claims proceed: default adult-child communication settings, misleading safety representations, and deceptive in-game currency practices. Those, the court reasoned, involve Roblox’s own business decisions and “can be fixed by defendants without altering the publishing of third-party content.”20Iowa Attorney General. State of Iowa v. Roblox Corporation Ruling
The Iowa court also rejected Roblox’s argument that its free-to-play platform is not “merchandise” under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, finding that because the company profits from selling user data and in-game currency, an exemption would “create a large loophole.”21Yahoo News. Iowa Child Safety Lawsuit Against Roblox The line the ruling draws, between content moderation choices that Section 230 protects and platform design and marketing choices that it does not, is the roadmap other state enforcers and MDL plaintiffs are likely to follow.
Roblox’s Response
Roblox has denied that it intentionally puts users at risk. Responding to the Louisiana lawsuit in August 2025, the company said its policies are “purposely stricter than those found on social networks and other user-generated content platforms,” pointing to text filters that block personal information sharing, a prohibition on user-to-user image sharing, and 24/7 monitoring by thousands of staff alongside AI detection systems. Roblox reported submitting 24,522 reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2024.22Roblox. Roblox Responds to Louisiana AG Lawsuit
The company has highlighted age-based controls using facial estimation technology, stricter default settings for users under 13, and “Roblox Sentinel,” an open-source AI system released in August 2025 for detecting child endangerment risks. Roblox is also a founding partner of the Robust Open Online Safety Tools (ROOST) initiative and a member of the Tech Coalition.22Roblox. Roblox Responds to Louisiana AG Lawsuit On the Iowa ruling, Roblox said it was “pleased the Court narrowed the claims” and maintained that the lawsuit “fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works.”21Yahoo News. Iowa Child Safety Lawsuit Against Roblox The platform reported over 151 million daily active users and 380 million monthly users as of late October 2025, with more than 40% of that base under age 13.16Los Angeles County. LA County Sues Roblox for Unfair and Deceptive Business Practices