Roblox Faces Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Teen Suicide

Roblox is facing a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Becca Dallas following the 2024 suicide of her 15-year-old son, Ethan Dallas, who was allegedly groomed and manipulated by an adult predator posing as a child on the platform. The predator reportedly guided Ethan to disable parental controls, moved their communications to Discord, and coerced him into sending explicit messages, contributing to his mental health decline and eventual suicide. The lawsuit accuses Roblox of failing to provide adequate child safety protections and seeks to hold the company accountable beyond Section 230 immunity by focusing on the platform's safety shortcomings rather than content moderation. This case adds to mounting legal pressure on Roblox amid other lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny over its child safety measures, including recent enhancements to age verification and safety features. Roblox has expressed deep sadness over the tragedy and emphasized its ongoing commitment to user safety, highlighting over 100 new safety features implemented in 2025 and partnerships with law enforcement and child safety organizations. The case underscores broader concerns about online platforms' responsibilities to protect vulnerable children from exploitation and abuse.