Roblox and Discord are currently being sued for allegedly harming children and teens. This lawsuit claims that the companies’ services “contain unique product features which are intended to and do encourage addiction, and unlawful content and use of said products, to the detriment of their minor users.”
The lawsuit, which was brought about by The Social Media Victims Law Center, was filed on behalf of a 13-year-old girl identified as S.U. who began using Roblox when she was nine years old. The suit alleges that S.U. was contacted on Roblox by an 18-year-old user who encouraged her to join him on several social media platforms, including Discord, Instagram, and Snapchat. The lawsuit goes on to say that this communication led to a “harmful and problematic dependence” on electronic devices that damaged the girl’s mental health. At the same time, the 18-year-old reportedly encouraged S.U. to drink, send explicit pictures, and engage in other harmful behaviors. This reportedly led to S.U. attempting suicide in 2020.
“But for Roblox’s marketing to children, representations of safety, and failure to warn of harms known to Roblox and arising from its direct message products and capabilities… S.U. would not have been exposed to defendant Roblox’s inherently dangerous and defective features,” the case says. “But, for Discord’s defective and/or inherently misleading safety features and, independently, its failure to conduct reasonable verification of age, identity, and parental consent, S.U. would not have been exposed to defendant Discord’s inherently dangerous and defective features.”
According to The Verge, this is one of many lawsuits being brought up against large social media companies. This comes after California’s Governor signed a law requiring websites to change how they treat users under the age of 18.
(All information was provided by Bloomberg and The Verge)
0 comments on “Roblox And Discord Are Being Sued For Allegedly Harming Children”