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The government of Turkey has issued a nationwide block on Roblox, a gaming platform popular with children that hosts mostly user-generated content. The ban was instigated due to concerns around alleged child exploitation and inappropriate content.
While no explanation was initially given for the ban, an official from the Turkish Directorate of Communications quoted by Turkiye Today (via Dexerto) said that the move was motivated by reported inappropriate sexual content on the platform. The official alleged that the platform was a gathering place for pedophiles, and that its in-game currency Robux was being used to incentivize childrens’ participation in inappropriate activities, a claim backed up by a recent Businessweek report on how predators have used Roblox to groom children.
The official also raised the issue of gambling on the platform, alleging predatory tactics targeting children. In addition to all of these issues, the official also said there was an overall issue with regulation of inappropriate content on the platform, with Roblox’s existing oversight measures not enough to address said 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 don’t appear to be related at this time.
Roblox has put out a statement on the ban, saying it is “currently working with local authorities with the goal of resolving it,” noting that it has millions of users in Turkey, including some developers who may rely on the platform for their entire income. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to keep our community safe, and we share global policymakers’ commitment 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 the company is profiting off child labor. Roblox’s studio head disputed this claim, saying that a majority of its creators are over 20 years old, and that young developers were benefitting from learning valuable skills.
