Business
Texas sues Roblox for ‘putting paedophiles and profits’ over safety
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he has sued Roblox over “flagrantly ignoring” safety laws and “deceiving parents” about the dangers the online video gaming platform poses to young people.
In a social media post he said Roblox is a “breeding ground for predators”, accusing Roblox of putting “pixel paedophiles and corporate profit” over the safety of Texas children.
The lawsuit adds to the legal challenges related to online safety and internet predators faced by the gaming giant, which has tens of millions of daily active users.
Roblox told the BBC it is “disappointed” that it is being sued based on “misrepresentations and sensationalised claims”.
The company’s spokesperson said in a statement that it shares Paxton’s commitment to keeping children safe online and that it has introduced measures to remove bad actors and protect its users.
Roblox, which is especially popular with children, operates a massive online platform where users can play solo or with friends.
The platform has been marketed to families and offers a host of educational games that teach subjects including coding, physics and problem-solving.
Users are also offered developer tools to build their own games – a feature that has resulted in some violent and sexual content surfacing on Roblox.
Another feature that allows users to enter servers and interact with strangers online has also been criticised for potentially exposing young players to dangerous individuals.
Parents and children have raised concerns about Roblox, saying that they have seen distressing content or suffered abuse on the platform.
Paxton called on the company to do more to protect children from “sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen”.
“Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law,” he said in a statement on X.
Texas joins the US states of Kentucky and Louisiana which have also sued Roblox over potential harms to children.
Dave Baszucki, Roblox’s chief executive, previously told the BBC that parents who are uncomfortable with their children playing games on the platform should not let them use it.
“That sounds a little counter-intuitive, but I would always trust parents to make their own decisions,” Mr Baszucki said.
Roblox has introduced features in recent years to tighten age verification and safety for young players.
The platform said it is rolling out technology to estimate a player’s age using video selfies and other measures before they are allowed to communicate on Roblox.
Last year, Roblox also announced it will block under-13s from messaging others on the platform unless a parent or guardian grants permission.
Roblox has been banned in some countries, including Turkey over concerns about child exploitation.
The platform came under scrutiny in Singapore in 2023 after the government said that a self-radicalised teenager had joined ISIS-themed servers on Roblox.
The 16-year-old, who was one of two young people who were detained at the time, had joined Roblox servers that replicated real-life conflict zones such as those in Syria, the Singapore government said.
Business
BrewDog owners say craft beer company could be sold off
Craft beer brand BrewDog could be sold off after the company started the process to find new investors.
The Scottish beer brand recently announced plans to close all of its distilling brands, meaning it would no longer produce any of its spirits, including Duo Rum, Abstrakt Vodka, and Lonewolf Gin, at its distillery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer brands, including the highly-popular Punk IPA, Elvis Juice, and Hazy Jane.
Now, in a statement, a spokesperson for BrewDog said the company had appointed Alix Partners to “support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.”
The statement said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business. This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.”
Although no decisions have been made, a sale is under consideration.
In a statment BrewDog added: “BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the No.1 independent brewer in the UK, and with a highly engaged global community. We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.”
According to reports by Sky News, AlixPartners had begun sounding out prospective buyers in the last few days.
The company, which has 72 bars worldwide and four breweries in Scotland, the US, Australia, and Germany, said its breweries, bars, and venues will continue to operate as normal. It employs 1400 people across the organisation.
BrewDog’s founders James Watt and Martin Dickie are the company’s major shareholders alongside private equity company TSG, which invested £213 million in 2017, making it a 21 per cent shareholder.
In 2024, the beer brand grossed £357 million in sales, and it is a major independent brewer with 4 per cent market share in the UK grocery market.
Business
Craft beer brewer BrewDog could be broken up as sale process begins
Beermaker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help look for new investors.
The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a sale process.
Last month, BrewDog announced it was closing its distilling brands, sparking concerns for jobs at its facility in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer products.
No decision has been made in respect of the sale process.
A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.
“This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.
“BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the number one independent brewer in the UK and with a highly engaged global community.
“We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.
“Our breweries, bars, and venues continue to operate as normal. We will not comment on any further speculation.”
Brewdog operates 72 bars around the world as well as four breweries.
Business
‘Better to abolish RERA’: Supreme court says law helping defaulting builders
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over how real estate regulatory authorities are functioning across the country. Taking a sharp view, the top court said it may be “better to abolish” these bodies, suggesting they have failed to protect homebuyers and instead appear to benefit defaulting builders. The court added that states should reconsider the very need for such authorities if they are not serving their intended purpose.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said states should rethink the original purpose behind introducing RERA. The court observed that instead of protecting homebuyers, the law appears to be helping defaulting builders and not serving its intended role.
Expressing strong concern, CJI Surya Kant said states should reflect on the purpose for which RERA was created. He suggested the institution is failing to serve homebuyers and instead appears to benefit defaulting builders. “All states should now think of the people for whom the institution of RERA was created. Except facilitating builders in default, it is not doing anything else. Better to just abolish this institution,” CJI Kant said, quoted by Bar and Bench.
Last year, the High Court had stayed the state government’s decision to shift the RERA office, pointing out that the move was taken “without even identifying an alternative office location”. The court also noted that transferring 18 outsourced employees to other boards and corporations, as requested, “would render the functioning of Rera defunct”.
The Supreme Court, however, set aside the High Court’s order and allowed the state government to shift the RERA office to Dharamshala. It also permitted the relocation of the appellate tribunal to the same location. “With a view to ensure that persons affected by Rera orders are not inconvenienced, the principal appellate is also moved to Dharamshala,” the apex court said.
What Is RERA And Why It Matters
RERA, introduced in 2016, was aimed at addressing project delays, improving transparency and safeguarding homebuyers’ interests. Earlier, each state and union territory operated its own RERA website. However, in September 2025, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a unified RERA portal that brings together data from across states and UTs on a single platform.
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