Roblox blocked by Roskomnadzor. Russian children cut off from games

Russian telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor blocked the American children's gaming platform Roblox on Wednesday. A popular gaming website with an average of 150 million daily users around the world has been accused of distributing extremist materials and demoralizing young people.

The first information about the blocking of Roblox appeared on Wednesday on Internet forums, where thousands of Russian users complained about the lack of access to the popular website.

Justifying its decision, Roskomnadzor said on Wednesday that Roblox is “full of inappropriate content that may negatively affect the spiritual and moral development of children.” The Russian regulator also did not like what it called “LGBT propaganda” posted on the website.

Reuters reminds that access to the website was blocked on similar charges, including: in Turkey and Iraq, but also in Kuwait and Qatar. However, Roblox Corp says it rigorously adheres to user safety, using a team of artificial intelligence moderators and working closely with the justice system and child safety experts.

They constitute the majority of users who are attracted by free access to thousands of games and the ability for players to communicate with each other, which makes Roblox a difficult communication channel to censor. Reuters reminds that last week Roskomnadzor threatened to completely block WhatsApp, whose functions have been systematically restricted since August this year. (PAP)

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