Roblox did not send representatives to a Texas House committee hearing Tuesday on online child safety, leaving lawmakers to consider the company's written testimony while discussing possible regulation of gaming platforms.
Texas Scorecard reported that House Speaker Dustin Burrows criticized the company's absence from the House State Affairs Committee hearing. Burrows previously directed the committee to study online gaming platforms and cited a Roblox game that simulated the 2022 Uvalde school shooting as an example of the content drawing legislative concern.
A Roblox spokesperson told the publication that the company submitted written testimony to both the House and Senate State Affairs committees. The company said it uses a multi-layer safety system and remains engaged with Texas officials. Those statements represent the company's position; the hearing itself focused on whether current safeguards and legal rules adequately protect minors.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has also sued Roblox. According to Texas Scorecard, the lawsuit alleges that the company misled parents about safety and failed to protect children from exploitation and explicit content. Those are allegations in pending litigation and have not been established as fact in a final judgment.
Lawmakers discussed several issues that could shape legislation in the next session, including age-verification requirements, parental-consent rules, responsibility for content created by third-party developers, and the scope of federal Section 230 protections for online platforms. The policy questions extend beyond one company because any state requirements could affect other gaming and social platforms used by Texas minors.
Roblox's decision not to appear limited lawmakers' opportunity to question company officials in public about its safety practices and enforcement systems. The written submission still gives the committees a formal statement to review, but it does not provide the same opportunity for follow-up questions or immediate responses to concerns raised during testimony.
The public-integrity issue is whether lawmakers receive enough verifiable information from large technology companies when considering rules that affect children and families. The hearing did not itself create new requirements. Any age-verification, consent, or liability proposal would still need to move through the legislative process before becoming Texas law.