Censorship of Roblox

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Countries where access to Roblox is fully blocked shown in red Map of Roblox restrictions by country.svg
Countries where access to Roblox is fully blocked shown in red

Roblox has been censored in several countries by governments and other authorities, including Algeria, China, Iraq, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, and Turkey.

Contents

Countries where access to Roblox is currently blocked

Algeria

On 8 September 2025, [1] authorities in Algeria banned Roblox, stating that the company lacked sufficient tools and capacity to protect children. Officials reported that a growing number of Algerian users, particularly those under the age of ten, were being exposed to sexual harassment, other inappropriate content, and increasing incidents of fraud, scams, and child exploitation. [2]

China

Roblox has been blocked in China due to concerns related to content perceived as anti-communist, in order to limit exposure to material that could contradict the Chinese Communist Party. [3]

Documents reported by Vice's Motherboard following a leak revealed Roblox's strategy for entering the Chinese market. These include a 2017 presentation titled "China MVP Ideas from Aug Trip" and a 2018 document called "China Government Policy", outlining steps for collaboration with Tencent and compliance with local regulations. The documents specify that Roblox and its games must respect China's territorial integrity, referring to disputes involving Taiwan, Tibet, the South China Sea, and Aksai Chin. The platform would also need to verify user identities using national IDs and restrict international players on Chinese servers, applying the same data collection standards to all users. Other requirements include prohibitions on altering historical facts, promoting division or ethnic discrimination, inciting national hatred, depicting graphic violence, showing national leaders, or endorsing polygamy or casual sex. [4]

In 2021, Roblox Corporation collaborated with Tencent to launch a Chinese version of its platform called LuoBuLeSi (Chinese :罗布乐思), [5] but the service was shut down later that year. The company continues to operate in China and supports developers through LuoBu Studio, which allows content publication for both Roblox and the future LuoBu app. Roblox stated that changes related to LuoBuLeSi do not affect users outside China. [4]

Iraq

On 21 October 2025, [6] Iraq blocked access to Roblox, citing concerns over child safety. Authorities stated that the game allowed direct communication between users, which could expose children and adolescents to exploitation or cyber extortion, and that the platform was "incompatible with social values and traditions". The Iraqi Communications Ministry announced that the ban followed a study and observations that found Roblox posed multiple "security, social, and behavioral risks". [7]

Roblox Corporation said it prioritized user safety and would work with the government to restore access. A spokesperson said the claims were based on an outdated understanding of the platform and noted that certain communication features, such as in-game chat, had been temporarily suspended for Arabic-speaking countries earlier in 2025. [8]

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) implemented a similar block days later, citing the general interest of its population. A ministerial order added Roblox to the list of previously banned programs, sites, and applications in the region. [6]

North Korea

Roblox is blocked in North Korea due to the country's censorship. [3]

Oman

In June 2025, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Oman told the local newspaper Atheer [9] that access to Roblox was blocked after authorities received multiple reports of inappropriate content being distributed to minors. [10]

Palestine

On 17 November 2025, Palestine blocked access to Roblox following a decision by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. The ministry stated that the decision was based on reviews of platform content and user interactions that were deemed inappropriate for children, including exposure to harassment and other unsafe digital behaviors. Authorities announced that they would work with Internet service providers to implement the ban and noted that similar measures had been taken in other Arab states. [11]

Qatar

On 13 August 2025, Qatar blocked access to Roblox due to concerns over child safety following online protests for government action. Although the application remains available for download on app stores, users in Qatar cannot progress beyond the home screen, and the web version similarly returns an error. [12]

Russia

On 3 December 2025, [13] Russia blocked access to Roblox, stating that the platform distributed extremist materials and content classified as "LGBT propaganda". The communications regulator Roskomnadzor reported that the platform contained instances of child sexual harassment and the distribution of explicit images that could negatively affect the moral development of children. [14]

In response to the ban, Roblox stated that it complies with local laws in the countries where it operates and highlighted its existing safety measures, including systems designed to detect and prevent harmful content. [15] The company also announced plans to temporarily limit communication and revise content moderation, and stated that it would continue discussions with Roskomnadzor regarding the restoration of access. [16]

Turkey

Ban message on the Roblox website in Turkey Roblox Blocked by Turkey BTK.png
Ban message on the Roblox website in Turkey

On 7 August 2024, [17] Turkey blocked access to Roblox over concerns that the platform contained content that could potentially lead to child abuse. Before its ban, Roblox had been downloaded 41 million times in Turkey since 2015. [18] Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç stated that, constitutionally, the state is obligated to take measures to protect children. The Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace issued the block following an investigation by the Adana chief public prosecutor, citing Turkey's internet governance law enacted in 2007 and updated in 2020. [19] [20]

Roblox stated that it has been cooperating with Turkish authorities, policymakers, and other organizations on safety issues and has introduced several systems to protect users, particularly children. [17]

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that Roblox could be unbanned in the country if the platform complies with government requirements to remove specific content. [21]

Countries where access to Roblox was formerly blocked

Jordan

Starting in 2020, [22] Jordan blocked access to Roblox over concerns about children's mental health and well-being, [23] citing risks such as exposure to foul language, scams, and hacking that could negatively affect their development. [3] In December 2025, the Roblox Corporation reached an agreement with the Jordanian government to unblock Roblox, in which chat features on the platform would be disabled and "offensive content" would remain hidden. [24]

Kuwait

In August 2025, Kuwait temporarily blocked access to Roblox over concerns about child safety, according to the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority. The regulator stated that the decision was made under its legal authority to protect users, following complaints from parents and other agencies regarding children's exposure to harmful content on the platform. [25]

The block followed a request from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Communications, citing potential risks to children, as well as increasing public concern from critics who claimed that the platform promoted immoral behavior, contained violent content, and encouraged inappropriate behavior. [25]

According to Al Qabas , the ban was lifted after Roblox's developers agreed to introduce additional safety measures, including removing restricted terms, disabling in-game chat, and implementing monitoring systems to reduce harmful or inappropriate content. Officials stated that enforcement would continue and that further action would be taken if the platform violated these conditions. [26]

United Arab Emirates

From 2018 to 2021, Roblox was banned in the United Arab Emirates. In 2018, Emirati Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi issued an order restricting access to several online gaming platforms, including Roblox, My Friend Cayla, Blue Whale, CloudPets, and Mariam. [27]

As of 2021, the Telecommunications and Regulatory Authority confirmed that Roblox was no longer banned in the United Arab Emirates. Gulf News reported that the platform was available for download on devices via the App Store and Google Play. [27]

See also

References

  1. Constantinescu, Elena (16 September 2025). "Algeria bans Roblox over child safety concerns". Proton VPN. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  2. الجزائر, بوابة (8 September 2025). "الجزائر تحظر وتحجب منصة روبلوكس الشهيرة للألعاب حماية للطفولة - ALGATEDZ - بوابة الجزائر" (in Arabic). Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Naeem, Muhammad Ebrahim. "Is Roblox Illegal? 6 Countries Where It Is". Game Voyagers. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 Meers, Whitney (27 July 2022). "Leaked documents detail Roblox's problematic Chinese expansion plans". PCGamesN. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  5. Weber, Nic (20 February 2024). "Is Roblox Banned in China? Let's Explore the Facts". Playbite. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  6. 1 2 "KRG bans Roblox, citing public interest". The New Region. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  7. "Iraq bans US gaming platform Roblox over child safety concerns". Reuters. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  8. Hwang, Cher (23 October 2025). "Iraq bans Roblox over child safety concerns". NewsNation. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  9. Elkabany, Hussien; Kouachi, Ikram (5 September 2025). "Saudi Arabia, UAE join Gulf states in restricting Roblox gaming platform". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  10. ""روبلوكس".. هل تعرف ماذا يفعل طفلك فيها؟". صحيفة أثير الالكترونية (in Arabic). 3 June 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  11. "Palestine Announces Ban on "Roblox" Platform to Protect Children Digitally". Sada News. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  12. Al Amir, Khitam (13 August 2025). "Qatar blocks popular online game Roblox amid child safety concerns". Gulf News. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  13. Khutsieva, Nika (18 December 2025). "Russian ban on Roblox stirs debate about limits of censorship". Reuters. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. Chia, Osmond (3 December 2025). "Russia bans Roblox over concerns about safety and extremist content". BBC. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  15. "Russia blocks access to US children's gaming platform Roblox". Reuters. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  16. Pennar, Sion (17 December 2025). "Roblox pledges to make changes to satisfy Russian censors following ban". TVP World. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  17. 1 2 "Update on the Roblox ban in Türkiye". Roblox Corp. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  18. "Roblox banned from Turkey for 'causing abuse of children' following an Instagram blackout. A TikTok ban may be next". Fortune. AFP. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  19. Abrams, Joel (11 August 2024). "Roblox was just banned in Turkey to 'protect children'. What's Australia doing?". The Conversation. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  20. "Turkey blocks Roblox access over abuse concerns, justice minister says". Reuters. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  21. "Türkiye's ban on Roblox and Discord may end soon, minister suggests". Türkiye Today. Newsroom. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  22. White, Gemma (27 August 2025). "How safe are children playing Roblox? Gulf states move to ban platform amid content concerns". The National. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  23. Al Amir, Khitam (20 August 2025). "Kuwait to ban Roblox amid rising concerns over child safety". Gulf News. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
  24. صحيفة عمون : اتفاق أردني مع "روبلوكس" لإزالة المحتوى المسيء من اللعبة. Ammon News. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  25. 1 2 Al Amir, Khitam (21 August 2025). "Roblox blocked in Kuwait over child safety and content concerns". Gulf News. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  26. Mankar, Sagar (1 November 2025). "Roblox Ban Lifted in Kuwait After Developer Agrees to New Safety Rules". Gaming Amigos. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  27. 1 2 Cherian, Dona (16 March 2021). "Fact check: Is Roblox unbanned in UAE?". Gulf News. Retrieved 7 December 2025.