"What Will Happen to Our Kids?"... Children's Playground 'Roblox' Faces Bans [Weekend in Games]

Roblox, an immersive gaming and creative platform, is facing bans and restrictions in various countries around the world due to concerns over child safety and political reasons. While Roblox is responding with extensive safety system overhauls and country-specific measures, resolving these conflicts remains difficult.

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As of April 11, countries that have blocked access to Roblox include Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, and China. Egypt most recently implemented a permanent ban this past February, citing the need to protect children from the dangers of internet and social media use, as well as exposure to violent content.

In the Middle East, several countries have already imposed restrictions on Roblox. Iraq blocked the service in October last year, citing risks of child exploitation, exposure to cyber blackmail, and conflicts with social values. A month earlier, Algeria banned Roblox, stating that the platform lacked sufficient capability to protect users from sexual harassment and fraud targeting children.

Turkey blocked access to Roblox in August 2024, expressing concern over content potentially leading to child abuse within the platform. Russia has prohibited Roblox since December last year, arguing that the platform disseminates extremist propaganda and LGBTQ-related content, which could negatively affect the mental and moral development of children.

Roblox has pushed back, stating, "We respect the laws of each country and provide a positive space on our platform for all users to learn, create, and connect." The company also emphasized that it has implemented preventive measures to block harmful content in advance. However, regulatory authorities believe that these steps are insufficient.

In response, starting January this year, Roblox made age verification mandatory for all users worldwide who want to use the chat function, requiring either facial recognition or ID verification. Chat within the platform is restricted: by default, users under 13 cannot send direct messages, and users under 9 have chat functionality disabled. These features can only be used in a limited manner with parental permission.

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Roblox is also negotiating with governments to develop customized responses. In Indonesia, since March this year, only users under 16 are restricted from accessing accounts, reflecting government concerns about microtransactions similar to gambling and issues around addiction. In Brazil, in line with authorities' decisions, the game rating has been adjusted to 18 and above, and algorithms have been modified to prevent underage accounts from searching for or accessing gambling-related games.

Australia and the UK have held emergency government meetings to prevent child grooming and have committed to continuously monitoring whether the platform is fulfilling its safety promises. In Vietnam, Roblox is collaborating with local company VNG to launch a separate application, offering services in compliance with government-mandated content censorship standards.

However, in some countries such as Russia and China, it is widely expected that the bans will be difficult to lift. These regulatory risks have contributed to a continued decline in Roblox's stock price. The market is closely watching how flexibly Roblox can compromise with governments and adapt its services locally. As of the end of September last year, Roblox's share price had surpassed $140, but it has recently dropped to around $55.

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