Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is targeting two of the most popular platforms claiming they aren’t doing enough to protect kids online.
In the last week, Uthmeier subpoenaed Roblox, an online gaming platform, and filed a lawsuit against Snapchat, a popular social media app.
"As a father and Attorney General, children's safety and protection are a top priority," Uthmeier said.
Roblox is a gaming platform and game creation system that allows users to program and play games created by themselves or others.
According to the company, half of all American children under the age of 16 play Roblox at least once a month.
"There are concerning reports that this gaming platform, which is popular among children, is exposing them to harmful content and bad actors. We are issuing a subpoena to Roblox to uncover how this platform is marketing to children and to see what policies they are implementing—if any—to avoid interactions with predators,” Uthmeier said.
Florida’s top prosecutor has made it clear he intends to scrutinize online platforms that are popular with children.
In a lawsuit against Snapchat, Uthmeier claims the social media giant is “knowingly and willingly breaking Florida statute.”
“I can’t say enough to parents at home to scare you about the dangers that are out there,” Uthmeier said.
One day after the lawsuit was filed, Snapchat announced its new Snapchat Family Safety Hub.
The social media company says the hub “details our in-app safeguards for teens to arm families with information about the robust set of tools, resources, and settings that support safe Snapchat use.”
Snapchat is an app-based messaging service where users send or publicly post photos and videos which automatically disappear soon after being viewed.
