Roblox Referenced in Active SEC Investigation, Report Confirms

The eminently popular live service game Roblox is involved in an active investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) according to a new report, though the extent is unclear.

As reported by Bloomberg, a Freedom of Information Act request elicited a statement from the commission, confirming Roblox had been referenced in an "active and ongoing investigation."

"We have confirmed with Division of Enforcement staff that there are responsive emails between Enforcement staff referencing Roblox and that these emails are a part of an active and ongoing investigation," the SEC told Bloomberg.

The extent to which Roblox is involved, or even the subject of the investigation, is unclear right now. The commission told Bloomberg it couldn't share staff correspondence referencing Roblox, as it would cause "harm to the ongoing enforcement proceedings." Bloomberg could not confirm the subject of the investigation, nor did Roblox respond to the outlet's requests for comment. The SEC declined to comment further.

Roblox has been under some scrutiny from various sources, however. Last October, a report accused Roblox Corporation of deliberately inflating its daily active user (DAU) statistics and fostering a "hellscape" for children. Roblox responded at length on its own site to strongly deny the accusations, asserting "safety and civility" are foundational to its live service platform. It's also acknowledged that undetected fraud and unauthorised access to Roblox may contribute to an overstatement of DAUs. In 2024, Roblox announced major updates to its safety systems and parental controls.

Further back, families sued Roblox in 2023, accusing the corporation of being misleading about its "ability to make the site safe and appropriate for children." A 2021 report from People Makes Games looked into the user-generated content of Roblox, and whether it was exploiting creators.

Last week Roblox shares fell 11%, as the Roblox Corporation reported 85.3 million daily active users, short of a StreetAccount estimated 88.2 million. Roblox CEO David Baszucki said the company would continue to invest in its virtual economy, app performance, and "AI-powered discovery and safety, empowering creators and enhancing the user experience."

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.