Ex-FTC Privacy Lawyer Skeptical of Roblox Joining Youth Safety Effort
A former FTC privacy attorney questioned Roblox’s motivations for partnering with a state attorney general association on a youth online safety initiative. The AG group disagreed with the concerns.
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Earlier this week, the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) said that Roblox would be an inaugural partner of an initiative meant to reduce online harms for children (see 2510290020). The announcement comes amid multiple legal actions from state AGs against the popular gaming platform, including from AGs in Florida, Kentucky and Louisiana (see 2510200041, 2510070042 and 2508140051). All raised concerns about possible harms to children from the platform.
“I’m pretty jaded when it comes to tech company shenanigans, but I think this latest move by Roblox might take the cake,” Ryan Kriger, previously an attorney in the FTC’s privacy division and before that a privacy and data security attorney in the Vermont AG’s office, wrote in a LinkedIn post Friday.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that if three AGs are publicly taking action against Roblox, others -- perhaps many others -- are probably investigating the company,” wrote Kriger. He noted that the AGA’s press release didn’t mention specific AGs who “are actually cooperating with this initiative.”
The AGA originally formed as a group of western state AGs but has since expanded its focus and membership to more than 40 states and territories.
“It would seem that if Roblox truly wanted to cooperate with Attorneys General to keep kids safe, a good start would be to settle their various lawsuits and investigations and enter into consent decrees in which they agree to legally binding obligations to actually keep kids safe,” he said. “Or, I suppose, they could cynically fund an organization that claims to be trying to solve the problem without actually taking concrete steps to solve the problem.”
AGA believes "real progress comes from engaging in thoughtful conversations on complex issues," Tania Maestas, AGA deputy executive director, said in an email to Privacy Daily. "The Partnership for Youth Online Safety was created to bring together attorneys general, industry leaders, nonprofits, and academics to have these important discussions. While some may be skeptical of new efforts, we encourage constructive engagement over cynicism. Protecting children and strengthening public trust require open minds and shared commitment."
"Each state will take its own approach based on its laws and priorities. AGA’s role is to create space for collaboration, not to dictate outcomes," Maestas added. "In the coming months, more attorneys general and partners will join this effort. This is not about quick fixes but about building a meaningful and lasting process toward an important goal."
Roblox didn’t comment Friday.