If something happened to your child on Snapchat or Roblox, you may feel stuck. You probably accepted the terms of service without reading them, and you may assume that means the company is off the hook.
It does not.
Courts have started pushing back on that idea, and families across the country are bringing cases against companies like Snapchat and Roblox right now.
You may be able to hold these companies legally responsible, especially when what happened to your child connects to how the app was designed or how the company handled risks it already knew about.
When Can Snapchat or Roblox Be Held Legally Responsible for Harm to Kids?
Snapchat and Roblox can be held legally responsible when the company failed to take reasonable steps to keep kids safe on its app. You do not have to prove the company is responsible for every user's behavior. You have to show the company's own choices put your child at risk.
Families bringing these cases argue that a company:
Built features that made it easier for predators to contact kids
Failed to put real age verification or monitoring in place
Knew about prior incidents involving similar harm and did nothing
What matters is whether the company acted reasonably given what it knew, or should have known, about the risks to kids using the app.
Does Section 230 Protect Snapchat and Roblox From Lawsuits?
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is one of the first things these companies bring up in court. The federal law protects online companies from being treated as the publisher of content their users post.
For years, Section 230 was one of the strongest defenses these companies had. Courts have made clear that protection has limits. It does not cover every kind of claim, and it often does not apply when your case focuses on the company's own conduct, like how the app was built or what safety choices the company made, rather than what a user posted.
That difference matters for your case. Claims that target how Snapchat or Roblox operates, rather than just what someone said in a chat, have been more successful in court.
How Have Courts Ruled in Lawsuits Against Snapchat and Roblox?
Courts have allowed cases against Snapchat and Roblox to move forward, especially when families and state attorneys general focus their claims on product design and negligence.
Lawsuits against Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, have included allegations that features like disappearing messages and location sharing made the app unsafe for kids.
New Mexico's attorney general sued Snap over alleged child exploitation on the app, and an unredacted version of that lawsuit revealed internal information about how the company handled risks to kids.
Utah has also sued Snapchat for releasing experimental AI features to young users while misrepresenting the safety of the app.
Cases against Roblox Corporation have focused on how kids end up interacting with strangers through chat and in-game communication.
A Cook County family filed a lawsuit alleging Roblox exposes children to sexual predators, and Los Angeles County has sued Roblox over similar concerns. Families have argued the company did not do enough to stop exploitation or inappropriate contact.
The bigger picture is that courts and state officials are taking these cases seriously. Judges are willing to examine whether Snapchat and Roblox themselves played a role in creating risk for kids, not just whether a user did something wrong.
Which Snapchat and Roblox Features Have Led to Lawsuits?
Specific features built into these apps come up over and over in lawsuits, because those features can make it easier for kids to be hurt.
On Snapchat, disappearing messages are a major issue. The feature is marketed as private, but it can also wipe out evidence of harmful conversations and make it harder to report what happened. Location sharing has also exposed kids' real-world whereabouts to strangers.
On Roblox, the focus has been on communication systems that let adults talk directly with kids inside the game. Roblox has moderation tools and parental controls, but those have not been enough to stop predators from using the app to reach kids.
In your case, these features are not seen as neutral tools. They are choices the company made, with consequences the company could have predicted. The question is whether Snapchat or Roblox took reasonable steps to protect kids, or whether they prioritized growth over safety.
Can You Sue Snapchat or Roblox?
Yes, families are suing Snapchat and Roblox, and you may be able to as well. The way your case is built matters.
Your case would focus on what the company did, not what a user did. Common claims include negligence, product liability, and failure to warn. In some situations, families also bring claims under state consumer protection laws.
For your case to move forward, you generally need to show:
The company owed a duty to your child as a user, especially as a minor
The company broke that duty through its design or policies
That failure played a role in the harm your child experienced
Evidence can include internal company documents that come out during the lawsuit, expert review of how the app was built, and records of prior incidents or complaints the company received.
These cases are tough, and the companies fight hard. They will try to get your case thrown out early using Section 230 and other defenses. Working with attorneys who handle these cases makes a real difference in how your claim is built and how it stands up in court.
How Do You Know If You Can Sue Snapchat or Roblox?
The only way to know if you can sue Snapchat or Roblox is to talk through what happened with an attorney. Every family's situation is different, and the details of how your child was harmed, what features were involved, and what the company knew all matter.
A confidential case review is private, free, and does not commit you to anything. An attorney can look at the facts, walk you through how cases like yours are being handled, and tell you honestly whether you have a path forward.
You do not have to figure this out on your own. Help Law Group is here when you are ready to talk.
Speak With Help Law Group About Your Case
If your child was harmed on Snapchat, Roblox, or another app and you want to know what your options are, a confidential case review can give you real answers. An attorney can tell you whether the company's design or conduct may support a legal claim and what the next steps could look like for your family.
Fill out our online form for a free, confidential case review with Help Law Group.