Comment on “The Communication Decency Act and Children’s Internet Use,” by David Baszucki, C.D., P.L.C. J. & R. D. Weingarten
The company argued that the plaintiffs’ claims were barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which prevents any “interactive computer service” — in this case, Roblox — from being held liable for third-party content published on its platform. The court held that Section 230 doesn’t apply because Roblox isn’t being held liable for stuff published on it’s platform. It’s being accused of “facilitating transactions between minors and online casinos that enable illegal gambling, and for allegedly failing to take sufficient steps to warn minors and their parents about those casinos.”
The US District Court in California wrote that the tickets did have economic value even if they couldn’t be exchanged for cash. “Similarly, when someone purchases Robux on the Roblox platform, they do so because they can exchange Robux for in-game experiences that are of value to them. There is no reason to distinguish the movie or the roller coaster ride in the real world from an in-game experience in the virtual world.”
Most of the users of the Roblox platform are children and teenagers, a group that has been accused by critics of being exploited. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, however, Roblox’s studio head, Stefano Corazza, said the platform has actually been a gift to the young developers who make money by creating games on the platform.
Roblox, for its part, has made recent overtures to legislators as part of a broader effort to prove it’s taking children’s safety seriously. “Obviously, everyone wants to keep kids safe,” Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki told The Verge’s Alex Heath. “It has been something we’ve always focused on. And so we wanted to be a resource for legislators as they start thinking about laws.”
Baszucki will be meeting with lawmakers in Washington, DC, on legislation that will affect kids internet use as well.