Roblox banned in Turkey over ‘child exploitation’ concerns

The Turkish government has imposed a nationwide block on Roblox, a gaming platform popular with children that primarily hosts user-generated content. The ban was imposed amid concerns over alleged child exploitation and inappropriate content.

While no explanation was initially given for the ban, an official from Turkey’s Directorate of Communications, quoted by Turkiye Today (via Dexerto), said the move was motivated by reported inappropriate sexual content on the platform. The official alleged that the platform was a hub for pedophiles and that the in-game currency Robux was being used to incentivize children to engage in inappropriate activities, a claim backed up by a recent Businessweek report on how predators have used Roblox to manipulate children.

The official also raised the issue of gambling on the platform, alleging predatory tactics targeting children. In addition to all these issues, the official also said that there was a general problem with the regulation of inappropriate content on the platform, with Roblox’s existing oversight measures not being sufficient to address these issues.

The Roblox ban comes just days after Turkey blocked Instagram for all users in the country, while other Meta-owned apps and platforms remain accessible. The Instagram and Roblox bans do not appear to be related at this time.

Roblox released a statement about the ban, saying it was “currently working with local authorities to resolve the issue,” and that it has millions of users in Turkey, including some developers who may rely on the platform for their entire income. “We are committed to doing everything we can to keep our community safe, and we share the commitment of global policymakers to protecting children,” Roblox said.

As a platform built on user-generated content, Roblox has faced accusations of a different kind of child exploitation in the past, with concerns that the company profits from child labor. Roblox’s studio head disputed this claim, saying that the majority of creators are over the age of 20 and that young developers would benefit from learning valuable skills.