Latest news with #AdoptMe!
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
‘Hundreds of Lawsuits' Coming Soon Against Roblox Over Child Abuse
Gaming platform Roblox (RBLX) is about to face a swarm of lawsuits alleging child abuse. According to Wired, a group of law firms across the U.S. is seeking to file 'hundreds of lawsuits' by the end of September. These lawsuits are being filed on behalf of clients who allege that Roblox facilitated the sexual exploitation and grooming of their children. Roblox offers a wide range of popular games loved by kids, including Adopt Me!, Grow Garden, and Blox Fruits, which attract millions of daily players and showcase the platform's creativity and variety. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. These allegations came to light last week, after Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit accusing the company of failure to develop adequate safety protocols and creating a platform that she described as the 'perfect place for pedophiles.' Following the news, RBLX stock fell 6.3% on Friday. Roblox's Problems Are About to Get Bigger Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey noted that the investigation adds to already mounting legal and reputational pressures on Roblox. Hickey commented, 'With hundreds of millions of active users, heightened media exposure could amplify regulatory and consumer risks for the company.' Despite the challenges, Hickey maintains a 'Buy' rating on RBLX stock with a price target of $150, implying 25% upside potential from current levels. This is not the first time Roblox has faced such lawsuits. During the pandemic, and again in 2023, Roblox was accused of 'negligent misrepresentation and false advertising.' Those lawsuits also alleged that Roblox's in-game purchasing system, Robux, functioned like 'illegal child gambling.' Law Firms Are Filing Hundreds of Lawsuits Currently, Roblox has about 111.8 million daily active users. The report cited a conversation with Matt Dolman of Dolman Law Group, who stated that the firm had already filed about 300 cases against Roblox. He highlighted that a majority of these clients are under the age of 16, with an estimated 60% of the cases involving girls. Additionally, he predicted that by next year, Roblox could be facing more than a thousand lawsuits. Additionally, Martin Gould of Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley revealed that his firm is representing 'over 400 victims of sexual abuse and grooming on Roblox and Discord… some of them are pretty horrific cases.' In response, Roblox stated, 'We are deeply troubled by any incident that endangers our users, and safety is a top priority.' The company added that while no system is perfect, Roblox has strong safety rules, including blocking the sharing of personal details, links, and images, and banning sexual conversations. Roblox has strengthened its parental controls, AI-driven moderation systems, and third-party safety audits. Is Roblox Stock a Good Buy? On TipRanks, RBLX stock has a Strong Buy consensus rating based on 16 Buys, three Holds, and one Sell rating. The average Roblox price target of $146.35 implies 22% upside potential from current levels. Year-to-date, RBLX stock has surged 107.3%.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Yahoo
Roblox is now much faster on Chromebooks
In a fitting crossover, Roblox is getting a big speed boost on Chromebooks. Google said on Thursday that a new x86 version of the online game platform and creation system is twice as fast as the Android version, which was previously the only way to play Roblox on ChromeOS. Given the overlap between Chromebooks (popular in education) and Roblox (popular with kids, for better or worse), a better-performing version on ChromeOS seems like a good match. Although there are more ARM-based Chromebooks than before, most still use x86 architecture. Google says the new Roblox build provides smoother gameplay, quicker load times and "an overall better Roblox experience." More specifically, you should see a 99 percent framerate increase in the virtual pet game Adopt Me! and a 67 percent boost in the role-playing sim Brookhaven RP. Load times are up to 29 percent faster when going from a fresh start to the login page. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Alongside the x86 launch, Google and Roblox have some speed-themed in-game swag for Chromebook users. You can redeem a jetpack with a Chrome logo (of course!) for your avatar to fly around like a Google-sponsored Buzz Lightyear. You can also redeem a "hoverboard" (which looks suspiciously like a OneWheel) for faster ground travel. You'll find both on Google's perks page. This isn't the first mashup between the two companies. Last year, they teamed up on a weird game that teaches kids about online safety, the, uh, "interestingly" named Be Internet Awesome World. Google told Engadget that you can install the x86 version of Roblox directly through the Play Store. Although that's typically where you find the Android version, the storefront should automatically deliver the right build for your laptop.
The Onion
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Onion
It Almost Weirder That Grown Man On Roblox Isn't Grooming Children
SEATTLE—Voicing concern about the adult's aberrant behavior, sources confirmed Monday that it was almost weirder that Richard Shea, a grown man on Roblox, wasn't using the online gaming platform to groom children. 'If he was on here trying to find underage players and lure them into some sort of sexual relationship, that would be super fucked-up, but at least it would explain his reasons for spending hours each day playing virtual experiences designed by children. This guy isn't a predator, though,' said Roblox player Mason Briggs, 11, telling reporters that the fact that there was no sinister sexual motivation behind Shea's dogged pursuit of high scores on games such as Blox Fruits and BedWars and that he seemed to play only for fun was bizarre and inexplicable. 'I remember he invited me and a few friends to an in-game party where we could all play and communicate together. He never pressured us to reveal contact information or made any sort of inappropriate or explicit remark. He mostly just wanted tips on how to make it through the Ancient Ruins map on Adopt Me! It kind of gave me the creeps.' At press time, Briggs was reportedly all the more disturbed after receiving a private message from Shea informing her that he'd have even more time to play now that he had received tenure.
