Not Just Russia, Here's the List of Countries that Block Roblox
JAKARTA - Not long ago, Roblox was officially blocked from Russia. However, Russia is not the only country that blocks the game. This video game platform is blocked by many countries, including China.
Most countries block access to the game due to concerns about children. They say Roblox is dangerous for minors. Here is a list of countries that prohibit access to the platform.
Russia
Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor blocked Roblox due to concerns about terrorism content and LGBT information. They found a scenario of simulating terrorist attacks and illegal gambling activities on the game's servers.
Roskomnadzor also highlighted the high number of reports of sexual harassment of children and the spread of intimate images on the platform. Therefore, Roblox is not only banned for children in the country, but also for all adults.
Iraq
The Iraqi government officially closed access to Roblox on October 20 after the Ministry of Communications conducted a study. This ban was triggered by concerns that direct communication features could make teenagers vulnerable to cyber exploitation and extortion.
The results of the study showed a fairly high risk of security, social, and behavioral problems for young generations in Iraq. The government also assessed that the content in the game was not in line with the values and social traditions upheld by the local community.
Turkey
A court in the Turkish province of Adana took the blocking step on the grounds of the safety and protection of children. The Minister of Justice, Yilmaz Tunc, stated that the content on Roblox has the potential to cause harassment of minors.
The Turkish government insists that this decision was taken to build a safe digital environment for minors. All users can no longer access Roblox through the official website or the Android and iOS apps.
North Korea
North Korea banned Roblox due to its very strict restriction policy on foreign-origin platforms. The country does not allow the free flow of information through the platform.
The global chat feature in Roblox is considered dangerous because it allows its citizens to talk to people from all over the world. This is in contrast to the directions of the local government which wants to control all social interactions of its community.
China
China imposed a similar ban with North Korea on various social media sites and game platforms originating from the United States. In addition to data security reasons, the Chinese government believes that Roblox contains anti-communist propaganda elements in it.
The Communist Party in China wants to protect their younger generation from narratives that could undermine the state's ideology. Therefore, this platform is completely blocked to maintain their national stability.
Oman
Oman is one of the new countries that have stopped using Roblox. The local government argues that the game application contains explicit content that is not suitable for children to consume.
Authorities have also warned of threats from fraudsters and hackers operating within the platform. The presence of these criminals is considered to have a negative impact on young generations in Oman.
Guatemala
In Guatemala, Roblox is banned for violating laws and regulations related to the protection of children and adolescents. The government takes strict legal action to maintain the digital safety of its citizens.
This blocking was carried out after the Roblox security standard was evaluated by the local government. In the evaluation, Roblox is required to have a strict monitoring system for user interactions.
Qatar
Qatar became the next country to block Roblox after being pressured by the local community. Many are concerned about their children's safety so the government was urged to block the platform.
Currently, Roblox can still be downloaded through app stores such as the App Store or Google Play Store, but users cannot get past the main screen. They will see a network error message when trying to use the app.