Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns

The government of Turkey has issued a nationwide block on Roblox, a gaming platform popular with children that hosts mostly user-generated content. The ban was instigated due to concerns around alleged child exploitation and inappropriate content.

While no explanation was initially given for the ban, an official from the Turkish Directorate of Communications quoted by Turkiye Today (via Dexerto) said that the move was motivated by reported inappropriate sexual content on the platform. The official alleged that the platform was a gathering place for pedophiles, and that its in-game currency Robux was being used to incentivize childrens' participation in inappropriate activities, a claim backed up by a recent Businessweek report on how predators have used Roblox to groom children.

The official also raised the issue of gambling on the platform, alleging predatory tactics targeting children. In addition to all of these issues, the official also said there was an overall issue with regulation of inappropriate content on the platform, with Roblox's existing oversight measures not enough to address said issues.

Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns

Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns

Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns

Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns

Roblox Banned In Turkey Over "Child Exploitation" Concerns