Russia blocks access to popular children's gaming platform, accusing it of 'LGBT propaganda' and 'harassment' of children
Illustrative image of a Roblox user. Photo source: Wachiwit | Dreamstime.com
Russian authorities have blocked access to the US children's game platform Roblox, accusing it of distributing extremist content and “LGBT propaganda”, state media reported on Wednesday, according to Reuters and AFP.
The platform, which allows users to create their own games and share them with others, was the most downloaded mobile game in Russia in 2023, notes Russian newspaper Vedomosti.
In a statement published by Russian news agencies, Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said Roblox had become full of “inappropriate content that can negatively impact children's spiritual and moral development.”
“Children in the game are subjected to sexual harassment, tricked into taking intimate photos and forced to commit depraved acts and violence,” the statement said.
Roblox, owned by California-based Roblox Corporation, did not respond to requests from Reuters and AFP for comment.
100 million daily users
About 100 million people use Roblox daily, and people under the age of 13 accounted for about 40 percent of users in 2024, according to the company.
In Russia, users began reporting problems accessing the game on Wednesday, according to sites that monitor online connection drops.
The Roblox platform has also been banned by other countries, including Qatar, Iraq and Turkey, mainly due to child safety concerns, and the US states of Texas and Louisiana have sued the app for the same reason.
Roblox Corporation claims to moderate all content through human verification and artificial intelligence tools, including to remove “exploitative content”.
Russian officials have also threatened other foreign platforms
Russia has repeatedly threatened foreign-owned websites with bans, accused by human rights campaigners of wanting to control and monitor internet use.
Roskomnadzor announced last week that it was considering banning WhatsApp, the country's second most popular messaging service, on the grounds that it was failing to prevent “criminality”.
Authorities hope that apps like WhatsApp and Telegram will be replaced by Max, a messaging platform launched this year by Russian social media giant VK that has received rave reviews from government officials but has drawn mixed reactions among Russians.
Photo source: Wachiwit | Dreamstime.com
