Roblox Gets Banned Indefinitely in Turkey Over Child Exploitation

The Turkish government has blocked all users and creators from accessing Roblox due to concerns of “child exploitation.”

Despite its large and youthful user base, Roblox has faced significant criticism for its lack of protection for its users. The platform has been called out for its inadequate safety measures against mature content and for profiting off of child labor, as many of its popular mini-games are created by young developers.

Moreover, the platform has been involved in a class action lawsuit due to its failure to reimburse consumers who used Robux to purchase virtual items that were subsequently removed (moderated) from the Roblox platform. To resolve the issue, Roblox has agreed to set up a $10 million settlement fund that will provide customers with an immediate credit of Robux to their Roblox account.

The Turkish government has declared that Roblox is taking advantage of children through unethical methods and has implemented a nationwide prohibition on the platform, preventing any users or creators from accessing it for an unspecified period of time.

Roblox has been blocked in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/slVdZfIREV

— Bloxy News (@Bloxy_News) August 7, 2024

The Turkish Directorate of Communications official elaborated on the ban, stating that it was primarily due to reports of inappropriate sexual content on the Roblox platform, which was seen as taking advantage of children.

According to Turkish media, additional allegations were made that Roblox was hosting virtual parties that promoted pedophilia and distributing its virtual currency, known as “robux,”through bot accounts to entice children to participate in these activities. There were also concerns raised about the excessive number of gambling sites on the platform and their predatory tactics.

Roblox has released a statement to BBC stating that they are aware of the current unavailability of their platform in Turkey. They have also reached out to the appropriate authorities to investigate the issue and work towards getting back online as soon as possible.

Following the implementation of a countrywide restriction on Roblox, there is growing apprehension among both the player community and game developers who earn revenue from their creations on the platform. The focus of this worry is centered around the stability of their economy, which is now inaccessible due to the platform’s indefinite lockdown. Concerns have arisen regarding the payouts for creators and the worth of Robux, the virtual currency held by users in their profiles.