Roblox accused of misleading advertising in complaint to FTC

Roblox has come to be a go-to vacation spot for brand names hunting to dip their toes into the metaverse, as perfectly as access younger gamers who may steer clear of additional traditional channels of marketing. 

Roblox’s official group standard stipulates that advertisements are not able to have written content for end users below the age of 13, in get to guard small children from being specific by advertisers.

“We have stringent procedures and monitoring procedures aimed at combating written content to exploit or trick people,” the assertion from Roblox go through.

But the system does minor to implement that plan, TINA states. Brand names have also allegedly entered organic game titles on Roblox without having expressly disclosing the look as a sponsored function, in accordance to the grievance. 

Other promises manufactured by TINA incorporate the presence of avatar influencers who could be shilling brand add-ons devoid of disclosing their connections to individuals makes. Digital influencers are envisioned to stake a big claim as creators in the metaverse, so if there continues to be any uncertainty as to how they be partnered with, models should really want to function that out as shortly as feasible. 

Metaverse glossary for models

TINA also cited that Roblox misleads buyers into imagining they can make significant sums of cash by staying developers when the chance of this sort of is evidently low. The system of earning Robux, the platform’s in-activity currency, is also flawed, suggests TINA, which formerly submitted a Freedom of Information and facts Act (FOIA) ask for for virtually 1,300 shopper problems, numerous of which problem the currency.

The grievance to the FTC phone calls for the government body to look into Roblox based on TINA’s statements and consider acceptable enforcement motion. For instance, undisclosed connections in between endorsers and models can carry a great of up to $46,517 by the FTC, in accordance to TINA.