Sen. Gounardes, Child Safety Advocates: Flood of Child Exploitation Cases Against Roblox Demands Urgent Action

Sen. Gounardes' New York Children's Online Safety Act would protect kids on online gaming platforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 17, 2025

New York, NY — New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes joined advocates, experts and parents to call for urgent action in the wake of near-constant instances of child sexual abuse and exploitation on Roblox and other online gaming platforms.

In just the past several weeks, Kentucky’s Attorney General called Roblox a "playground for predators," a Florida family alleged their child was coerced into sending sexually explicit content on the site, a 12-year-old New Yorker sued Roblox over sexploitation, and Dutch officials launched an investigation into the site over child welfare concerns.

Roblox, where over 40% of users report they’re under 13, reported over 13,000 instances of child exploitation in 2023 alone, and responded to 1,300 requests for information from law enforcement. In one study, researchers were unable to create a test account with the name “Jeffrey Epstein” because it, along with over 900 variations, was already taken. Researchers were able to access games with names like “Escape to Epstein Island,” and over 600 games with the term “Diddy” (e.g., “Run From Diddy Simulator,” “Diddy Party”), despite having registered as a child under 13. One research firm described the site as “an X-rated pedophile hellscape, exposing children to grooming, pornography, violent content and extremely abusive speech.”

This problem is pervasive across online social platforms, where adult users can collect troves of information about child users and lure them into private chats within minutes. More than 300 million children worldwide are victims of some type of online sexual exploitation and abuse, and reports of child sexual abuse material recently reached a record high of more than 36 million per year.

Some platforms have taken steps to create “privacy by default” settings for young users. But such halfhearted initiatives are inconsistent across the industry and insufficient to protect children, particularly in their lax approach to age verification.

The New York Children's Online Safety Act (S4609/A6549), sponsored by Senator Gounardes’ and Assemblymember Nily Rozic, would address this urgent problem by requiring online platforms to utilize a commercially reasonable form of age assurance in order to determine the actual age of their users, turn off open chat functions by default for kids, unless a parent switches them back on, so adult strangers can’t privately message minors. It would require children’s profiles be set to private so strangers can’t view them without a friend request, and only let adults message children if their friend request has been accepted, which would require parental approval for users under 13. 

The law would also require parents to approve financial transactions connected to a child’s account and, for kids under 13, allow parents to view the account’s list of approved friends. Enforcement against violations of the bill would be vested in the New York State Attorney General, who would be empowered to pursue damages of $5,000 per violation.

“It’s a grim reality of the modern internet: the online platforms where our kids spend time are failing to keep them safe from predators. It’s past time to act,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “My bill protects kids from adults who seek to exploit them, while taking the onus off overwhelmed parents and putting it where it belongs: on Big Tech. From toys to food to cars, we regulate all sorts of products to keep children safe. There’s no reason online platforms should be different. By creating these commonsense protections, we can send a clear message that New York will always prioritize our kids’ safety over Big Tech’s profits.”

“Common Sense Media thanks Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for prioritizing the protection of children where they spend so much of their time — playing video games online,” said Common Sense Media Founder and CEO James P. Steyer. “The New York Children’s Online Safety Act builds on Sen. Gounardes’ and Assemblymember Rozic’s already successful record on kids’ online safety by requiring any social media or gaming site with a private chat function to implement accurate age assurance methods and keep predators away from our kids.  This legislation builds on New York’s SAFE for Kids Act, which was signed into law in 2024, and the New York Social Media Warning Label Act, which is pending on Governor Hochul’s desk right now. Together, these measures create a foundation for online experiences where kids’ safety is the expectation, not the exception.”

“Across New York and the nation, parents are tired of their children being at  risk of exploitation or abuse on online social and gaming platforms. With companies like Roblox failing to take even basic measures to protect the kids using their products, it’s absolutely essential for lawmakers to step in and hold them accountable,” said Founder and Executive Director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) Julie Scelfo. “The New York Children’s Online Safety Act would be a critical step forward to safeguard children from digital exploitation, while also helping ensure that parents know exactly what their kids are seeing and who they’re communicating with on these platforms. MAMA is grateful to Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for their critical leadership in addressing this urgent crisis.” 

"Parents shouldn't have to constantly look over their children's shoulders to protect them from predators lurking on online gaming and social platforms. The New York Children's Online Safety Act puts essential safeguards in place that should have been there from day one," said Shelby Knox, Director of Online Safety Campaigns at ParentsTogether Action. "When platforms allow thousands of child exploitation cases to occur each year, it's clear that voluntary measures aren't working. This legislation gives parents the tools and transparency we desperately need, while finally holding tech companies accountable for creating safe spaces for our kids. We're proud to stand with Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic in demanding that children's safety comes before corporate profits."

“SAVE strongly supports the Children's Online Safety Act because social media is no longer a playground for kids. It has become a high-speed digital highway with no speed limits, no guardrails, and predators hiding around every corner. Policymakers cannot keep letting Big Tech wave kids onto that road unprotected,” said Erich Mische, CEO of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). “As a national suicide prevention organization, we see the real-world consequences when children are exposed to exploitation, coercion, and harmful content online. Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Nily Rozic are doing what this moment demands: putting up the guardrails Big Tech refused to build. Age assurance, private-by-default settings, and restricting access to children are not burdens on companies. They are basic protections every child deserves. We commend Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember Rozic for their leadership and urge policymakers across the country to follow their example. Children need safety, not a fast lane to harm.”

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

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