Online gaming platform Roblox has been banned nationwide in Turkey, with officials from Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications outlining a range of ongoing concerns about the popular game, and how children utilise it. Chief amongst these is concerns of alleged child “exploitation” driven by reported sexual content on the platform, and allegations of pedophilia taking place online.
The move to ban Roblox also follows a similar Turkey-wide ban on Instagram, which was blocked five days prior, reportedly with no official explanation or timeline.
Roblox‘s recently-initiated ban has been made slightly clearer by an explanation provided to Türkiye Today by a spokesperson from the Türkiye Directorate of Communications. Per this spokesperson, the reason for the ban is fourfold.
Firstly, the government aims to prevent children from being exposed to adult content, as it’s alleged Roblox may incidentally provide this material to those underage. Secondly, the Türkiye Directorate of Communications has alleged “rampant reports of pedophilia” on the platform, further alleging that it could be a “gathering spot for pedophiles” due to the high number of children who play Roblox.
Read: US study reveals kids want subscriptions and virtual currency for Christmas
It has also expressed concerns that the game provides “incentives for children through virtual currency” and it has alleged bots frequently distribute Robux (in-game currency) to kids, which then may encourage future purchases, and potential gambling behaviour.
The Türkiye Directorate of Communications has further expressed doubts around the ability of Roblox‘s development team to fully “monitor and regulate inappropriate content on Roblox” as the game is incredibly vast. It’s alleged that the platforms oversight mechanics are “insufficient” to address the reported issues facing young players – and it’s largely for this reason that the game has now been banned in Turkey.
“It is everyone’s duty to look out for, protect and support the best interests of our children, the guarantors of our future,” Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said, as surfaced by PC Gamer.
In a response to the ban, seemingly provided prior to the Türkiye Directorate of Communications’s explanation to Türkiye Today, the Roblox Corporation told BBC Turkey: “We are aware that Roblox is currently unavailable in Turkey and we have contacted the relevant authorities to find out why and ensure we are back online as soon as possible.”
