NON-EMERGENCY
<a href="https://comicvibe.com/mississippi-ag-fitch-touts-human-trafficking-arrests-fraud-crackdowns-and-roblox-settlement/" title="Mississippi AG Fitch touts human trafficking arrests, fraud crackdowns, and <a href="https://comicvibe.com/roblox-settlement-yields-tighter-restrictions-over-8-million-for-south-dakota/” title=”Roblox settlement yields tighter restrictions, over $8 million for South Dakota”>Roblox settlement“>Roblox settlement grants South Dakota up to $15M for online safety
TJ RhodesSioux Falls Argus Leader
Updated July 13, 2026, 3:19 p.m. CT
As part of a recent Roblox settlement, up to $15 million will be used to protect the state’s children from online threats and enhance the state’s educational system over the next four years, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Monday, June 13
The guaranteed $9.6 million settlement could increase to $15 million if Roblox Corporation, the developer behind Roblox, fails to meet any agreement provisions. The news came as part of a press conference at the Law Enforcement Center in Sioux Falls that morning, followed by a press release to news outlets
South Dakota is establishing a national standard for platforms to protect kids and work with law enforcement to help parents,” Jackley said. “It improves online security and provides funds to those state agencies involved in protection and education.”
What were the terms of agreement?
Roblox is an online platform that launched in 2006 with around 80 million daily users. Its user base is primarily children younger than 18, though there are adult users as well. The settlement will require Roblox to implement numerous changes
South Dakota users will undergo age verification by submitting a government-issued ID or by utilizing facial technology. Roblox will then use “behavioral monitoring” to identify users who may not match their listed age
Parents will gain expanded access to their child’s profile. By establishing a parental account, they will be able to monitor who their children are in contact with and what games they are playing
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Dialogue between underage users and adults will be restricted unless the adult is established as a “trusted friend.” Users younger than 13 require parental consent to establish the trusted friend status. Users between 13 and 15 may establish this connection on their own, unless restricted by a parental account
Additionally, the encryption of conversations involving minors will be restricted
The transfer of in-game currency (Robux) will be restricted between underaged users and adults who are not established as “trusted accounts.”
How will South Dakota use the funds?
An SD AG press release detailed how the $9.6 million settlement will be used over four years
In year one, $2.6 million will be used to fund South Dakota’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
In year two, $2.5 million will be used to fund the South Dakota Department of Education. The release shared that 20% of the payment will be allocated to funding governmental and nonprofit after-school programs
A total of $1 million will be spent in years one and two to evenly fund a child safety PSA
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“As part of the agreement, Roblox will underwrite a two-year multi-media PSA campaign,” the release states. “The campaign will focus on online child safety, including specific references to interacting with Roblox safely, designed to reach a South Dakota audience. South Dakota may suggest local organizations to be considered as partners in the campaign.”
In year three, another $2.5 million will be used to bolster the SD DOE and governmental and nonprofit after-school programming
In the final year, $1 million will be used to fund the SD AG’s Consumer Protection Fund. The release notes that this will be used for future investigations and litigation against companies that violate consumer protection laws
Roblox is involved in similar cases with various state attorneys general.
