Louisiana Sues Roblox For Violating Privacy Law By Not Violating Privacy Law
byHappening Now TV-
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The state of Louisiana has filed a lawsuit against Roblox that includes what might be one of the most breathtakingly contradictory legal arguments I’ve ever encountered (ht: Liz Dye). In a complaint that runs 42 pages and accuses Roblox of being “the perfect place for pedophiles,” the Louisiana AG manages to argue that Roblox violated COPPA (the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) by… complying with COPPA
So let me get this straight: COPPA (according to Louisiana’s Attorney General) prohibits collecting personal information from kids under 13 without parental consent. Roblox doesn’t collect names or email addresses during sign-up in order to comply with the law by avoiding the collection of personal information that would trigger COPPA’s requirements. And Louisiana’s AG thinks this is… a violation of COPPA?
COPPA explicitly gives companies a choice: either don’t collect personal information from children, or collect it with verifiable parental consent. It’s right there in the law. Louisiana is essentially arguing that if you choose option A (don’t collect), you’re violating the law because you didn’t choose option B (collect with consent). Louisiana’s legal theory would make about as much sense as a law saying “you can either wear a red shirt or a blue shirt,” and then arresting someone for wearing red because they did so to “avoid” wearing the blue shirt.
