Censorship of Roblox

Roblox has been censored in several countries by governments and other authorities, including Iraq, China, North Korea, Russia, Qatar, Egypt, Algeria, Palestine, Oman, Turkey and Iran.

On 8 September 2025,^[1] authorities in Algeria permanently banned Roblox, stating that the company lacked sufficient tools and capacity to protect children. Officials reported that a growing number of Algerian users, particularly those under the age of ten, were being exposed to sexual harassment, other inappropriate content, and increasing incidents of fraud, scams, and child exploitation.^[2]

Roblox has been permanently blocked in China due to concerns related to content perceived as anti-communist in order to limit exposure to material that could contradict the Chinese Communist Party.^[3]

Documents reported by Vice's Motherboard following a leak revealed Roblox's strategy for entering the Chinese market. These include a 2017 presentation titled "China MVP Ideas from Aug Trip" and a 2018 document called "China Government Policy", outlining steps for collaboration with Tencent and compliance with local regulations. The documents specify that Roblox and its games must respect China's territorial integrity, referring to disputes involving Taiwan, Tibet, the South China Sea, and Aksai Chin. The platform would also need to verify user identities using national IDs and restrict international players on Chinese servers, applying the same data collection standards to all users. Other requirements include prohibitions on altering historical facts, promoting division or ethnic discrimination, inciting national hatred, depicting graphic violence, showing national leaders, or endorsing polygamy or casual sex.^[4]

In 2021, Roblox Corporation collaborated with Tencent to launch a Chinese version of its platform called LuoBuLeSi (Chinese: 罗布乐思),^[5] but the service was shut down later that year. The company continues to operate in China and supports developers through LuoBu Studio, which allows content publication for both Roblox and the future LuoBu app. Roblox stated that changes related to LuoBuLeSi do not affect users outside China.^[4]

On 1 February 2026, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation passed a statement permanently banning access to Roblox, with concerns being "internet and social media use among children".^[6]

On 4 February 2026, The National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority permanently blocked access to the platform completely in it's cooperation with the Supreme Council.^[7]

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority have yet to make a statement on what Roblox needs to change for reinstatement in Egypt, thus making the censorship permanent for the foreseeable future.

Roblox is permanently blocked in Iran due to the country's censorship.

On 21 October 2025,^[8] Iraq permanently blocked access to Roblox, citing concerns over child safety. Authorities stated that the game allowed direct communication between users, which could expose children and adolescents to exploitation or cyber extortion, and that the platform was "incompatible with social values and traditions". The Iraqi Communications Ministry announced that the ban followed a study and observations that found Roblox posed multiple "security, social, and behavioral risks".^[9]

Roblox Corporation said it prioritized user safety and would work with the government to restore access. A spokesperson said the claims were based on an outdated understanding of the platform and noted that certain communication features, such as in-game chat, had been temporarily suspended for Arabic-speaking countries earlier in 2025.^[10]

The Kurdistan Regional Government implemented a similar block days later, citing the general interest of its population. A ministerial order added Roblox to the list of previously banned programs, sites, and applications in the region.^[8]

Roblox is permanently blocked in North Korea due to the country's censorship.^[3]

In June 2025, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Oman told the local newspaper Atheer^[11] that access to Roblox was permanently blocked after authorities received multiple reports of inappropriate content being distributed to minors.^[12]

On 17 November 2025, Palestine permanently blocked access to Roblox following a decision by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. The ministry stated that the decision was based on reviews of platform content and user interactions that were deemed inappropriate for children, including exposure to harassment and other unsafe digital behaviors. Authorities announced that they would work with Internet service providers to implement the ban and noted that similar measures had been taken in other Arab states.^[13]

On 13 August 2025, Qatar permanently blocked access to Roblox due to concerns over child safety following online protests for government action. Although the application remains available for download on app stores, users in Qatar cannot progress beyond the home screen, and the web version similarly returns an error.^[14]

On 3 December 2025,^[15] Russia permanently blocked access to Roblox, stating that the platform distributed extremist materials and content classified as "LGBT propaganda". The communications regulator Roskomnadzor reported that the platform contained instances of child sexual harassment and the distribution of explicit images that could negatively affect the moral development of children.^[16]

In response to the ban, Roblox stated that it complies with local laws in the countries where it operates and highlighted its existing safety measures, including systems designed to detect and prevent harmful content.^[17] The company also announced plans to temporarily limit communication and revise content moderation, and stated that it would continue discussions with Roskomnadzor regarding the restoration of access.^[18]

On 7 August 2024,^[19] Turkey permanently blocked access to Roblox over concerns that the platform contained content that could potentially lead to child abuse. Before its ban, Roblox had been downloaded 41 million times in Turkey since 2015.^[20] Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç stated that, constitutionally, the state is obligated to take measures to protect children. The Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace issued the block following an investigation by the Adana chief public prosecutor, citing Turkey's internet governance law enacted in 2007 and updated in 2020.^[21][22]

Roblox stated that it has been cooperating with Turkish authorities, policymakers, and other organizations on safety issues and has introduced several systems to protect users, particularly children.^[19]

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated that Roblox could be unbanned in the country if the platform complies with government requirements to remove specific content.^[23]

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology on 20 March 2026 have placed Roblox under "strict monitoring" giving it one month to deal with "illegal activities" such as harboring threat actors, including pedophiles and drug traffickers threatening to block the game in the Philippines.^[24][25] This followed an incident of the Philippine police foiling an alleged school shooting plot of seven teenagers in Laguna after being influenced by "foreign handlers" via Roblox.^[25][26]

Starting in 2020,^[27] Jordan blocked access to Roblox over concerns about children's mental health and well-being,^[28] citing risks such as exposure to foul language, scams, and hacking that could negatively affect their development.^[3] In December 2025, Roblox Corporation reached an agreement with the Jordanian government to unblock Roblox, in which chat features on the platform would be disabled and "offensive content" would remain hidden.^[29]

In August 2025, Kuwait temporarily blocked access to Roblox over concerns about child safety, according to the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority. The regulator stated that the decision was made under its legal authority to protect users, following complaints from parents and other agencies regarding children's exposure to harmful content on the platform.^[30]

The block followed a request from the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Communications, citing potential risks to children, as well as increasing public concern from critics who claimed that the platform promoted immoral behavior, contained violent content, and encouraged inappropriate behavior.^[30]

According to Al Qabas, the ban was lifted after Roblox's developers agreed to introduce additional safety measures, including removing restricted terms, disabling in-game chat, and implementing monitoring systems to reduce harmful or inappropriate content. Officials stated that enforcement would continue and that further action would be taken if the platform violated these conditions.^[31]

From 2018 to 2021, Roblox was banned in the United Arab Emirates. In 2018, Emirati Attorney General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi issued an order restricting access to several online gaming platforms, including Roblox, My Friend Cayla, Blue Whale, CloudPets, and Mariam.^[32]

As of 2021, the Telecommunications and Regulatory Authority confirmed that Roblox was no longer banned in the United Arab Emirates. Gulf News reported that the platform was available for download on devices via the App Store and Google Play.^[32]

• Child safety on Roblox