Roblox Ban in Turkey: How Online Games Became an Arena for Child Exploitation

Turkey recently banned Roblox over reports of inappropriate sexual content that it sees as child exploitation and promotion of homosexuality, Turkiye Today reported.

According to authorities, Roblox has taken drastic measures to protect children as the company cannot effectively control such harmful activities.

The decision to ban the gaming platform, which was taken on August 8, comes as Turkish authorities continue to enact laws regarding social media platforms and digital content in the country.

Other reports have shown that behind Roblox’s innocent facade lies a complex cybercrime network focused on the sexual exploitation of children.

The platform has received many complaints for encouraging the abolition of gender identity and promoting homosexuality.

This gained a lot of attention after Bloomberg made a documentary titled ‘Roblox’s Pedophilia Problem’, which fueled debate about the risks associated with the platform.

The growing popularity of digital games among children and teens has raised concerns about the potential risks they are exposed to in these virtual environments. Experts warn that these platforms are turning into hunting grounds for children and teens.

Roblox

A Turkish court has banned access to Roblox, one of the popular online video game platforms, due to risks to children.

Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said: “Due to content that could lead to child abuse, access to the Roblox video game platform and its links in the app markets have been blocked by the 6th Criminal Court of Peace in Adana.”

“Turkey will continue to take measures to ensure the protection of our children in accordance with our Constitution, and technology is not allowed to be used in a negative way,” he added.

The ban on Roblox has sparked angry reactions, especially due to the revelation of the disgusting side of Roblox through social media posts.

For example, children are sometimes invited to sex parties in secret virtual spaces within the game, where homosexual propaganda is spread.

In contrast, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party wrote: “It is incomprehensible that after Instagram, there is a ban on access to the online gaming platform Roblox, which has more than 15 million users and where users can develop games.”

“Those who make these decisions are people who know nothing about the new world, economy and technology,” he added.

However, a spokesperson for Roblox, a company that offers user-generated games, said that ensuring the safety of users, especially young people, is at the core of its business.

“We respect the laws and regulations in the countries where we operate and share the commitment of local lawmakers to children. We look forward to working together to ensure Roblox is back online in Turkey as soon as possible,” he added.

According to sources, the company that owns the video game platform is appealing the ban to the Turkish judiciary.

The appeal process against a Turkish court’s ruling to ban Roblox games will take several months, as the procedure is complex and takes more time.

The blocking of access to the Roblox platform follows similar decisions made by the Turkish government last month.

On July 16, Ankara banned the popular global social storytelling platform Wattpad in a bid to protect children and public order, becoming the first country to impose such a restriction.

On August 2, Turkey’s Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICT) blocked access to Instagram after the company failed to remove illegal content on topics including child sexual abuse, gambling and drugs.

Abuse and exploitation

Roblox is a video game platform that allows users to create and publish their own games. The platform also serves as an online meeting place for its users, who are often teenagers.

Roblox has managed to become a popular phenomenon in record time, growing to over $3.5 billion in revenue in 4 years, according to company data, with daily active players exceeding 78 million players, up from $500 million and 17 million daily players in 2019.

But thanks to its massive popularity among teens, Roblox has become a breeding ground for cybercrime, especially targeting children.

The story of the little girl who sold her photos for a fake digital currency called Robux is just a clear example of what happens in this game.

While looking for some fun, she fell victim to a professional hunter who took advantage of her need to blackmail her.

These criminals infiltrated the world of Roblox and took advantage of the game’s security vulnerabilities and the lack of awareness among children and parents.

They build fake friendships with children and then lure them into a dark world of abuse and exploitation.

For these victims, the game, once a source of joy and fun, has become a virtual prison from which they cannot escape.

According to reports, Shedletsky, an influential character on Roblox, has captivated thousands of children and teenagers with his cheerful image and challenging societal taboos.

Behind this fake persona was Arnold Castillo, a young man in his twenties who used his popularity to build a virtual empire and increase his influence over his victims.

Using in-game communication tools and third-party chat services, Castillo was able to communicate directly with children and abuse his victims’ trust to manipulate and attack them.

In one case, he managed to deceive a 13-year-old girl, convincing her that he loved her, then kidnapping and sexually abusing her.

This incident showed the downside of the use of gaming platforms by individuals with bad intentions. It raises many questions about the responsibility of gaming companies to protect users, especially children, from such risks.

According to data from Bloomberg Businessweek, since 2018, police in the US have arrested at least two dozen people accused of kidnapping or abusing victims they met or manipulated through Roblox.

In 2021, a report by People Make Games accused Roblox of exploiting children as young game developers.

Dangerous phenomenon

The dangers of Roblox are not limited to the game itself, but extend to many other digital gaming platforms and social media. Therefore, it is imperative to take urgent action on a global level to combat this dangerous phenomenon.

Children who are victims of these types of crimes suffer severe psychological consequences, such as depression and anxiety, and it can take years for them to recover.

A study of a group of children by Kirra Pendergast, founder of the Social Media Safety Association and herself a schoolchild in a small town in Australia, found that a large percentage of them receive friend requests from strangers on the Roblox platform. Some of them even become the targets of attempts to exploit them in exchange for digital currency in the game.

In a disturbing research experiment, an online predator has managed to lure a journalist disguised as a four-year-old girl onto the Roblox platform.

Although the journalist repeatedly confirmed her young age, the attacker continued to communicate with her via the Snapchat platform with the aim of establishing an inappropriate relationship with her. This shows that child sexual exploitation via online games is common.

Dr. Omer Kamal Buhari, a lecturer at Medeniyet University in Istanbul, explains that malicious actors can take advantage of children’s easy access to digital gaming platforms to turn them into hunting grounds.

He pointed out that some digital companies with millions of users pose significant risks, such as sexual abuse, misuse and privacy violations.

He pointed out that absolute digital privacy is not possible in today’s environment as data moves to virtual space once an electronic device is purchased and connected to the Internet.

Dr Buhari explained that multiplayer games like Roblox may seem innocent at first glance, but they can contain secret rooms that can create unsafe environments for children.

He noted that children exposed to inappropriate content can suffer lasting psychological trauma that requires long-term treatment.

He added that these games can normalize sexual violence and create attitudes that support abuse.

Dr Buhari stressed that it is the duty of states to ensure the safety of their citizens. This includes blocking harmful content and developing protection software.

He noted that parents play an important role in protecting their children by monitoring their use of digital devices and reducing their dependence on the internet.