Roblox goes offline for 85million 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 13k instances of child exploitation after tightening measures on the platform.

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Roblox is no longer available in Türkiye[/caption]

The majority of Roblox’s players are children, with current figures showing that 58% of users claim to be under 16 years old.

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

The high-profile case of Arnold Castillo, who was charged with Transportation of a Minor with the Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity after meeting a child on Roblox, caused the company to take action.

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

As translated by Twitter, his statement reads: “It should not be forgotten that the Republic of Türkiye is a State of Law. 

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

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

“Türkiye is one of the countries that closely follows developments in 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 should approach such situations targeting 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 allowed.”

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 almost 20 years making Roblox one of the safest online platforms for our users, particularly the youngest, and ensuring the safety of our users is at the core of everything we do. 

“We respect the laws and regulations in countries where we operate and share local lawmakers’ 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, check out how half of adults spend money on ‘free’ games.