ASIATODAY.ID, MOSCOW – US gaming platform Roblox has officially been banned in Russia after the country’s media watchdog said it had identified “mass and repeated distribution” of illegal materials, including extremist content and LGBTQ propaganda.
Roblox is an online gaming platform with more than 150 million daily active users, marketed largely toward children, where players create their own games, join worlds built by others, and interact across a shared virtual environment.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Roskomnadzor announced that it would be blocking access to Roblox servers, stating that the platform’s content may harm the “spiritual and moral development of children.”
The watchdog cited the presence of sexually explicit interactions, harassment, and attempts by adults to contact minors inside Roblox’s chat features. Additionally, the regulator said Roblox has hosted material “promoting and justifying extremist and terrorist activity, calls for violent crimes, and LGBT propaganda.”
Russian legislators had previously warned that the platform is popular among predators who approach minors in-game before attempting to move conversations offline, pointing to multiple reports of sexual harassment and solicitation.
Roskomnadzor noted that it has repeatedly notified Roblox since 2019 about prohibited material and concluded that its internal moderation systems have been unable to ensure full safety on the platform.
The ban comes as Roblox has faced wider scrutiny internationally. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit accusing the company of “flagrantly ignoring” safety laws and “deceiving parents,” calling Roblox a “breeding ground for predators” and alleging it puts “pixel paedophiles and corporate profit” over child safety. Kentucky and Louisiana have launched similar suits.
The platform has similarly been banned in Iraq and Türkiye over concerns about exploitation and inappropriate content. Roblox also came under scrutiny in Singapore in 2023 after regulators said a self-radicalised teenager had joined ISIS-themed servers on the platform.
Roblox has said it is “disappointed” to be sued based on “misrepresentations and sensationalized claims,” insisting it has a “deep commitment to safety” and uses extensive monitoring systems, text filtering and age-verification measures. (RT)
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