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Los Angeles County has sued Roblox for "unfair and deceptive business practices," claiming the platform's moderation and age-verification systems are inadequate. "Roblox portrays its platform as a safe and appropriate place for children to play," the complaint states. "In reality, and as Roblox well knows, the design of its platform makes children easy prey for pedophiles." Representatives accused Roblox of failing to implement adequate platform safety features to prevent child endangerment. "Specifically, Roblox has not effectively moderated game content or enforced age-appropriate restrictions and warnings established by the creators, allowing the predatory and inappropriate language and interactions between users to persist," the County stated. It also said the platform failed to disclose any danger to children, including sexual content and the risk of predators. Roblox rejected the allegations, saying the platform was built around safety. "We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications, and users cannot send or receive images via chat, avoiding one of the most prevalent opportunities for misuse seen elsewhere online," the company told the AFP. The LA county complaint is the latest in a string of lawsuits from US regions including Florida, Texas and Kentucky. The Attorney General in Louisiana also accused the company of having a "lack of safety protocols" that endanger the safety of children in favor of "growth, revenue and profits." That state's lawsuit cited a specific example of a subject arrested last year that used voice-altering tech to mimic a younger feminine voice to lure and sexually exploit young players. Roblox has said that it has about 144 million daily active users around the world, with over 40 percent of them under the age of 13. However, it has faced repeated accusations that it doesn't do enough to protect young players. In 2024, Roblox banned players under 13 from accessing some types of in-game content and restricted their ability to message with other players outside of specific games. Last year, the company also began asking tens of millions of children to verify their age with a selfie. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/la-county-lawsuit-accuses-roblox-of-exposing-children-to-grooming-and-exploitation-124523028.html?src=rss
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Its a big month for Pokémon, with February 27 marking 30 years since the worlds highest-grossing media franchise first introduced itself in the shape of two Game Boy games. Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, which later arrived in the West as Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, kicked off a craze in Japan that would soon spread worldwide. And to mark the series 30th anniversary, the little turn-based RPGs that started it all are being re-released on Nintendo Switch. Well, sort of. The versions were actually getting are the Game Boy Advance remakes, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, which originally came out in 2004. Explaining its decision to bring back the enhanced GBA titles rather than the originals, Nintendo said in an FAQ that it thought Switch owners would like the opportunity to revisit the "ultimate versions of the original Pokémon adventures in the Kanto region." Get ready to relive the Kanto region Trainers, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version are coming to Nintendo Switch!Pre-order here:https://t.co/WzCCWh1fn8https://t.co/5SdXjg75is https://t.co/XVYS5wVZYp Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 20, 2026 These arent modern remakes or remasters. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will look and play pretty much the same as they did in 2004, just on a far superior display, obviously. Theres no online play, but the original games local multiplayer features return via the Switchs built-in wireless features. If youre playing on Switch 2, you can also play using GameChat. Other than that, it doesnt sound like there are any notable differences between the Switch and Switch 2 versions. In a move that might surprise some, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen wont be available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online GBA library. In fact you dont even need an NSO membership to play them. Instead, the games are being sold as standalone titles for $20 in the eShop. No physical release is planned outside of Japan. Nintendo added in its FAQ that there are no current plans for more old-school Virtual Console-style releases beyond these ones, with the company still committed to building out its NSO subscription offerings. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will be available to buy after a Pokémon Presents showcase that will air next Friday, February 27 (the day of Pokémons 30th anniversary), at 9am ET. And if you need yet more Pokémon after that, Pokémon Pokopia, which is the series long-awaited stab at a cozy Animal Crossing-like, arrives on March 5.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pokemon-firered-and-leafgreen-are-coming-to-switch-next-week-for-the-series-30th-anniversary-123505741.html?src=rss
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Apple has lined up its first event of the year. Already! Its taking place in New York City on March 4 at 9AM ET, but the company hasnt confirmed if it will stream the media event. It seems likely the event will be mainly iPads and MacBooks so business as usual. However, it could include new entry-level MacBooks in a fresh array of colors. I think thats what everyones reading into the lemon-and-lime tinged invitation. Im very much up for a return of the colorful Mac. The first Mac I ever used was one of those bubbly orange iMacs, interning at a video-game magazine. Yes, a magazine. Were also expecting a 2026 MacBook Air and refreshed 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips also breaking cover. Is it too early for an iPhone 17e? Perhaps. Well be reporting from the event. And for those asking about yesterday's newsletter, thanks for your continued support and we'll have more to say soon. Mat Smith The other big stories (and deals) this morning Metas metaverse is going mobile-first Meta reportedly plans to release a smartwatch this year Ring could be planning to expand Search Party feature beyond dogs Netflixs first MMA livestream is coming in May Rousey v. Carano. Netflix is streaming its very first live MMA fight on May 16. The combatants are Ronda Rousey, (last match 2016) and Gina Carano (2009). The streamer has had to pluck fighters out of retirement because more contemporary stars are under contract with various promotional entities. The featherweight bout will take place inside a hexagon cage and stream globally hopefully, Netflix can keep its stream up. The fight is co-hosted by Most Valuable Productions, Jake Pauls production company. Because of course it is. Continue reading. The Pixel 10a is your next midrange Android phone It launches March 5. Engadget The worst-kept secret in value-for-money phones remains Googles Pixel A series. In recent years, the Android phone series has offered a great balance of specs, hardware design and software features that embarrass most phones in the same price point. Its camera performance is often better than devices that cost several hundred dollars more. Its more of the same with the Pixel 10a. For $500, you get a 6.3-inch OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,000 nits of peak brightness, 8GB of RAM and a 48MP main camera, paired with a 13MP ultra-wide. Also: No. Camera. Bump. Innovation for $500, right there. Continue reading. Dysons tiny PencilVac gets turned into a floorwasher This is the PencilWash. Engadget I wont shut up about floor cleaning. Im 41. Dyson has crunched its wet-floor tech into the same cylindrical profile of its Penac. I like the size, but how does it clean? Ill hold judgment till Ive tried it. $600 is a lot more than a mop. Yes, I know thats not the point. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-122534537.html?src=rss
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