6 ms·

Roblox sued for allegedly enabling young girl’s sexual, financial exploitation

40 points by Syonyk 4y ago

Syonyk 4y ago
"Engagement and growth at all costs!" in fine form here. Lots of social media activity, lots of accounts created! And while at some point, parents need to be aware of what's going on, some of the apps certainly seem to go out of their way to make it impossible - I was not aware of SnapChat's My Eyes Only folder, but I'm not surprised given that the app is for ephemeral photo messaging and has payments built in. The obvious uses there are obvious.
rrwo 4y ago
> It alleges that, in 2020, Roblox connected a young girl called S.U. with adult men who abused her for months, manipulating her into sending payments using Roblox currency called Robux and inducing her to share explicit photos on Discord and Snapchat through 2021. As the girl grew increasingly anxious and depressed, the lawsuit alleges that Instagram began recommending self-harm content, and ultimately, S.U. had to withdraw from school after multiple suicide attempts. This reads like the synopsis of a Philip K Dick story.
- nalaz 4y ago
  Where were the parents in that story?
  - devwastaken 4y ago
    The case likely doesn't have legal merit. If we could get money damages for actions of others through online platforms there'd be easy money to be made. A reasonable person would also not try to sue companies for this. Given those two together, it's not difficult to infer.
    - heavyset_go 4y ago
      The only thing shielding companies from liability is Section 230 of the CDA. Without it, companies could be found liable for user generated content that they host. There are literally thousands of lawsuits filed every year seeking liability from companies that are thrown out simply because of the CDA. I wouldn't say that those thousands of lawsuits are pressed by unreasonable people. That aside, at least to me, if you're going to provide a platform for children to interact with other people, you better make sure those other people can't and aren't using your platform to exploit kids.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - lotsofpulp 4y ago
        > That aside, at least to me, if you're going to provide a platform for children to interact with other people, you better make sure those other people can't and aren't using your platform to exploit kids. What if an abuser walks into a theme park or indoor play yard or ice skating rink? Should the operator be liable for monitoring the behavior and speech of every adult in the facility?
        heavyset_go 4y ago
        I'm friends with someone who worked on a discussion board system for a popular kids' show channel. Every post was first read by moderators before being allowed to be seen. It's a 100% attainable goal for companies that actually care about providing safe places for children to interact online.
        rrwo 4y ago
        Yes, and in some parts of the world they are obligated to run background checks on their employees or contractors.
  - tsol 4y ago
    Something something pandemic means kids aren't seeing their friends so they need social media to fit in. This is what I usually hear. I know people say to just parent your kids, but the right choice isn't always obvious
  - fdewrewrewf 4y ago
    Her parents were probably just like the many "happy", middle-class families with kids I know - "it's so hard to be the only kid without a smartphone, and since the pandemic, it helps her keep in touch with her friends. And the school has an app now, and there are so many educational games!". GD I hate what "tech" has done to us.
  - rrwo 4y ago
    Parents cannot and should not be watching their teenaged children 24/7, and if they tried, the children would find ways to hide things from their parents. Most people find the parents that deny their children any privacy as abusive. It's healthy for children to have time away from their parents, so they can learn and practice being adults. The vast majority of teenagers have managed to do this without becoming pregnant, alcoholics, drug addicts, or join violent street gangs. (And some that do still manage to sort their lives out when they get older.) What's changed in recent years are unregulated, algorithm-driven social media - that guess people's moods to get them addicted to content and purchase products, including harmful products; - that pushes content full of misinformation, conspiracy theories and violent extreme politics; - allows random adults on the other side of the world to reach out to children for exploitation (sexual or financial) or recruitment for violent political causes; - 24-hour interaction, so there's no break from the drama or abuse of school when you leave school for the day or weekend; Supposed child-friendly platforms like YouTube Kids or Roblox are attractive places for people who want to exploit children. The profit motive encourages companies to take a hands-off approach, and the scale of users and content means that it's difficult to control.
- Gortal278 4y ago
  Why isn't snap and/or discord bring sued?
  - chriswitts 4y ago
    They are. It is stated in the subheading, as well as the article.
    - hnburnsy 4y ago
      Soon to add to the lawsuit Visa and Mastercard for conspiring with Roblox to facilitate exploitation of children.
frankharv 4y ago
Obviously the parents have no responsibility at all..... How about kids don't use devices unattended.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  The kid in the story is 10 to 13 years old. At what age would a kid be able to use a device unattended (presumably meaning one that access the internet and allows for communications)? Not to mention the infeasibility if the kid is allowed to hang out with other kids without adults present.
  - brianwawok 4y ago
    I’m not sure but currently planning 16 or 18. The internet is a terrible place.
    - jdlshore 4y ago
      I presume you’ve not raised kids of your own. If you had, you’d know that constant monitoring of older children is both infeasible and unhealthy. Children don’t magically become responsible at age 16 or 18; they get there by participating in the world in age-appropriate ways. That includes the Internet. It’s true that the Internet has dark places, but it also has wonderful places that are good for children to socialize and learn. It’s the job of parents to guide children to use the Internet responsibly. This isn’t easy, and tragedies will occur. That’s true for all aspects of life.
      - silisili 4y ago
        A couple thoughts. I generally agree with your post, except maybe a couple implications... 1 - Children under 13 are way, way different than a 16 year old. They both do 'stupid' things, of course. Middle school age children are probably most susceptible to about everything. 2 - Kids don't need the internet to become responsible adults. We have thousands of years of examples proving as much. I think it is perfectly reasonable to raise kids with heavily restricted internet, or no internet at all if the parents so choose.
scintill76 4y ago
> program reassured them, stating that it was safe and that the kids were constantly monitored. > S.U. was admitted into an in-hospital treatment program, where the lawsuit says she was sexually assaulted by another resident Oof. IANAL, but I think they’ll have better chances suing the hospital than social media platforms.
pull_my_finger 4y ago
Some interesting related investigation (I think they mention this girl in the second video) related to roblox is anyone is interested. I had never used it, but after seeing these I don't think I would ever use it or encourage anyone to use it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXlauRB1EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXlauRB1EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMF6xEiAaY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMF6xEiAaY
- archixe 4y ago
  As someone who knows nothing about roblox these videos were very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
moomin 4y ago
It’s a serious problem. No-one wants to constantly monitor their kid, even to make sure they’re safe, but Roblox is like a playground full of unaccompanied adults.
fxtentacle 4y ago
In my opinion, the issue here is the iPad. When I started using computers, it was a tower with a proper screen and no camera no microphone. That meant the risk of apps spying on me was low and my parents could see everything on-screen to make sure bad stuff doesn't happen. But giving the kid an iPad means apps know that there's a camera and a microphone available. And it means typically nobody else sees what's on your screen. And it makes it easy to bring "the internet" into your bedroom. Using social media always means giving up privacy. So I feel like it's not unreasonable for parents to require it as a prerequisite for a minor to interact online. And that means the device needs to have a screen which is easily visible to parents at most/all times.
IXxXI 4y ago
If parents cannot monitor children 24/7. Roblox and internet platforms should not be expected to either.
everforward 4y ago
This isn't the first time this has happened in "children's" communities. Is there some way to prove a person is under 18? We can prove that someone is over 18 via ID's or using credit cards as a proxy, but is there a way to keep adults out and let children in? Roblox seems like a space that could potentially be limited to children. I've never met an adult with an interest (anecdata, perhaps it doesn't generalize).

40 points by Syonyk 4y ago

"Engagement and growth at all costs!" in fine form here. Lots of social media activity, lots of accounts created! And while at some point, parents need to be aware of what's going on, some of the apps certainly seem to go out of their way to make it impossible - I was not aware of SnapChat's My Eyes Only folder, but I'm not surprised given that the app is for ephemeral photo messaging and has payments built in. The obvious uses there are obvious.

rrwo 4y ago

> It alleges that, in 2020, Roblox connected a young girl called S.U. with adult men who abused her for months, manipulating her into sending payments using Roblox currency called Robux and inducing her to share explicit photos on Discord and Snapchat through 2021. As the girl grew increasingly anxious and depressed, the lawsuit alleges that Instagram began recommending self-harm content, and ultimately, S.U. had to withdraw from school after multiple suicide attempts. This reads like the synopsis of a Philip K Dick story.

nalaz 4y ago
Where were the parents in that story?
- devwastaken 4y ago
  The case likely doesn't have legal merit. If we could get money damages for actions of others through online platforms there'd be easy money to be made. A reasonable person would also not try to sue companies for this. Given those two together, it's not difficult to infer.
  - heavyset_go 4y ago
    The only thing shielding companies from liability is Section 230 of the CDA. Without it, companies could be found liable for user generated content that they host. There are literally thousands of lawsuits filed every year seeking liability from companies that are thrown out simply because of the CDA. I wouldn't say that those thousands of lawsuits are pressed by unreasonable people. That aside, at least to me, if you're going to provide a platform for children to interact with other people, you better make sure those other people can't and aren't using your platform to exploit kids.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      > That aside, at least to me, if you're going to provide a platform for children to interact with other people, you better make sure those other people can't and aren't using your platform to exploit kids. What if an abuser walks into a theme park or indoor play yard or ice skating rink? Should the operator be liable for monitoring the behavior and speech of every adult in the facility?
      - heavyset_go 4y ago
        I'm friends with someone who worked on a discussion board system for a popular kids' show channel. Every post was first read by moderators before being allowed to be seen. It's a 100% attainable goal for companies that actually care about providing safe places for children to interact online.
      - rrwo 4y ago
        Yes, and in some parts of the world they are obligated to run background checks on their employees or contractors.
- tsol 4y ago
  Something something pandemic means kids aren't seeing their friends so they need social media to fit in. This is what I usually hear. I know people say to just parent your kids, but the right choice isn't always obvious
- fdewrewrewf 4y ago
  Her parents were probably just like the many "happy", middle-class families with kids I know - "it's so hard to be the only kid without a smartphone, and since the pandemic, it helps her keep in touch with her friends. And the school has an app now, and there are so many educational games!". GD I hate what "tech" has done to us.
- rrwo 4y ago
  Parents cannot and should not be watching their teenaged children 24/7, and if they tried, the children would find ways to hide things from their parents. Most people find the parents that deny their children any privacy as abusive. It's healthy for children to have time away from their parents, so they can learn and practice being adults. The vast majority of teenagers have managed to do this without becoming pregnant, alcoholics, drug addicts, or join violent street gangs. (And some that do still manage to sort their lives out when they get older.) What's changed in recent years are unregulated, algorithm-driven social media - that guess people's moods to get them addicted to content and purchase products, including harmful products; - that pushes content full of misinformation, conspiracy theories and violent extreme politics; - allows random adults on the other side of the world to reach out to children for exploitation (sexual or financial) or recruitment for violent political causes; - 24-hour interaction, so there's no break from the drama or abuse of school when you leave school for the day or weekend; Supposed child-friendly platforms like YouTube Kids or Roblox are attractive places for people who want to exploit children. The profit motive encourages companies to take a hands-off approach, and the scale of users and content means that it's difficult to control.
Gortal278 4y ago
Why isn't snap and/or discord bring sued?
- chriswitts 4y ago
  They are. It is stated in the subheading, as well as the article.
  - hnburnsy 4y ago
    Soon to add to the lawsuit Visa and Mastercard for conspiring with Roblox to facilitate exploitation of children.

frankharv 4y ago

Obviously the parents have no responsibility at all..... How about kids don't use devices unattended.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
lotsofpulp 4y ago
The kid in the story is 10 to 13 years old. At what age would a kid be able to use a device unattended (presumably meaning one that access the internet and allows for communications)? Not to mention the infeasibility if the kid is allowed to hang out with other kids without adults present.
- brianwawok 4y ago
  I’m not sure but currently planning 16 or 18. The internet is a terrible place.
  - jdlshore 4y ago
    I presume you’ve not raised kids of your own. If you had, you’d know that constant monitoring of older children is both infeasible and unhealthy. Children don’t magically become responsible at age 16 or 18; they get there by participating in the world in age-appropriate ways. That includes the Internet. It’s true that the Internet has dark places, but it also has wonderful places that are good for children to socialize and learn. It’s the job of parents to guide children to use the Internet responsibly. This isn’t easy, and tragedies will occur. That’s true for all aspects of life.
    - silisili 4y ago
      A couple thoughts. I generally agree with your post, except maybe a couple implications... 1 - Children under 13 are way, way different than a 16 year old. They both do 'stupid' things, of course. Middle school age children are probably most susceptible to about everything. 2 - Kids don't need the internet to become responsible adults. We have thousands of years of examples proving as much. I think it is perfectly reasonable to raise kids with heavily restricted internet, or no internet at all if the parents so choose.

scintill76 4y ago

> program reassured them, stating that it was safe and that the kids were constantly monitored. > S.U. was admitted into an in-hospital treatment program, where the lawsuit says she was sexually assaulted by another resident Oof. IANAL, but I think they’ll have better chances suing the hospital than social media platforms.

pull_my_finger 4y ago

Some interesting related investigation (I think they mention this girl in the second video) related to roblox is anyone is interested. I had never used it, but after seeing these I don't think I would ever use it or encourage anyone to use it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXlauRB1EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gXlauRB1EQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMF6xEiAaY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTMF6xEiAaY

archixe 4y ago
As someone who knows nothing about roblox these videos were very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

moomin 4y ago

It’s a serious problem. No-one wants to constantly monitor their kid, even to make sure they’re safe, but Roblox is like a playground full of unaccompanied adults.

fxtentacle 4y ago

In my opinion, the issue here is the iPad. When I started using computers, it was a tower with a proper screen and no camera no microphone. That meant the risk of apps spying on me was low and my parents could see everything on-screen to make sure bad stuff doesn't happen. But giving the kid an iPad means apps know that there's a camera and a microphone available. And it means typically nobody else sees what's on your screen. And it makes it easy to bring "the internet" into your bedroom. Using social media always means giving up privacy. So I feel like it's not unreasonable for parents to require it as a prerequisite for a minor to interact online. And that means the device needs to have a screen which is easily visible to parents at most/all times.

IXxXI 4y ago

If parents cannot monitor children 24/7. Roblox and internet platforms should not be expected to either.

everforward 4y ago

This isn't the first time this has happened in "children's" communities. Is there some way to prove a person is under 18? We can prove that someone is over 18 via ID's or using credit cards as a proxy, but is there a way to keep adults out and let children in? Roblox seems like a space that could potentially be limited to children. I've never met an adult with an interest (anecdata, perhaps it doesn't generalize).