The Turkish government has banned Roblox, a popular online gaming platform, citing concerns over content that could potentially exploit children. This decision was announced by the country’s Minister of Justice, Yılmaz Tunç, who shared the news on social media. The ban reflects Türkiye’s efforts to protect children from harmful online content and ensure a safer digital environment for minors.
In response to the ban, Roblox acknowledged the importance of adhering to local laws and regulations in the countries where it operates.
The company expressed its commitment to working with Turkish lawmakers to address the concerns raised and to restore access to the platform in Türkiye as soon as possible. Roblox emphasized its shared commitment to child safety and its willingness to collaborate with the government to resolve the issue.
The decision to ban Roblox in Türkiye comes shortly after a Bloomberg report revealed that the platform had reported over 13,000 incidents related to child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023.
The report also highlighted that 24 predators in the United States had been arrested for grooming and abuse on Roblox. Despite these findings, Roblox criticized the report, arguing that it contained significant inaccuracies and did not fully capture the complexities of online child safety.
Furthermore, Roblox has faced legal challenges in the United States, where a group of parents filed a lawsuit against the company in 2023. The lawsuit accused Roblox of failing to implement adequate child safety measures, resulting in financial losses and exposure to adult content for their children.
Roblox defended itself by highlighting the safety features it has developed, including tools designed to provide parents with greater visibility into their children’s activities on the platform.
