Roblox officially banned by Turkish government over 'child exploitation'

Roblox has been officially banned by the Turkish government over concerns of "child exploitation" and inappropriate content.

2

The ban was issued by the Turkish Directorate of Communications, which states the decision was made after a concerning increase in the number of inappropriate sexual content on the platform, allegations it was used as a gathering place for pedophiles, and its in-game currency Robux being used to encourage children's involvement in inappropriate and predatory activities. Roblox has confirmed the ban, saying they have contacted the relevant authorities to attempt to get the game back online.

Officials also stated that Roblox's oversight for the user-generated content uploaded to the platform isn't substantial enough to respond to these growing issues. Notably, the Roblox ban comes only a few days after the Turkish government announced it was banning Instagram, which appears not to be related to the Roblox ban at this time.

"We will continue to defend freedom of expression against platforms that serve global exploitation and injustice," said Fahrettin Altun, head of the Presidency's Directorate of Communications

"We're committed to doing everything we can to keep our community safe, and we share global policymakers' commitment to protecting children," Roblox said