Roblox goes offline for 85 million people as country bans it ‘to ensure the protection of our children’

ROBLOX is one of the most popular and profitable games in the world, but there have been a number of controversies surrounding it.

Last year alone, Roblox reported 13,000 cases of child exploitation following stricter measures on the platform.

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The majority of Roblox players are children, and current figures show that 58% of users claim to be under the age of 16.

Since 2018, police have arrested at least 24 people accused of abusing and kidnapping children they met or groomed on Roblox.

The high-profile case of Arnold Castillo, who was charged with transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity after meeting a child on Roblox, prompted the company to take action.

As reported by PocketGamerTürkiye blocked access to Roblox on August 7, 2024, with its Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç posting the government’s official statement on Twitter that evening.

As translated by Twitter, your declaration says: “It should not be forgotten that the Republic of Türkiye is a rule of law.

“According to our Constitution, our State is obliged to take the necessary measures to guarantee the protection of our children.

“It is everyone’s duty to look after, protect and support the best interests of our children, the guarantors of our future.

“Türkiye is one of the countries that closely follows the evolution of the world and uses technology in the best way. However, using technology in a negative way is never acceptable.

“Everyone who thinks about the future of our country and our nation and is in a position of responsibility must approach such situations that target our children with sensitivity and stay away from populist and irresponsible rhetoric.

“Attempts to undermine our social structure, abuse of children, encouragement of violence and activities that will negatively affect the development of our children, each of whom is a precious gift, will never be permitted.”

We reached out to Roblox for comment and a spokesperson said the company will work with Türkiye to get Roblox back online.

The statement reads: “We’ve spent nearly 20 years making Roblox one of the safest online platforms for our users, especially younger ones, and ensuring the safety of our users is at the heart of everything we do.

“We respect the laws and regulations of the countries where we operate and share local legislators’ commitment to children.

“We look forward to working together to ensure Roblox is back online in Türkiye as soon as possible.”

If you want to read more about Roblox, see how half of adults spend money on ‘free’ games.