Russia Announces Ban on Roblox

(MENAFN) Russia's media watchdog has shut down access to the American gaming platform Roblox across the country, citing allegations of extremist content and child endangerment that persisted despite repeated government warnings.

Roskomnadzor, the federal agency overseeing media regulation and internet censorship in Russia, announced the prohibition on Wednesday through its official press service, according to media.

The regulator justified the sweeping ban by pointing to "the persistent circulation of materials promoting or justifying extremist and terrorist activity," media reported, emphasizing that such violations continued even after the agency had issued prior alerts to Roblox Corporation.

Government monitoring uncovered disturbing patterns on the platform, the watchdog stated, including incitements to commit violent acts, simulated terrorist scenarios, and LGBTQ-themed content—all of which violate current Russian legislation.

The agency condemned Roblox's content moderation infrastructure as inadequate, asserting that the company's internal controls had "repeatedly failed to ensure a safe environment for users, particularly minors."

Additional concerns raised by Roskomnadzor included documented instances of sexual predation targeting children on the platform, along with virtual scenarios that allegedly encouraged young users to participate in criminal or violent behavior.

Before implementing the nationwide block, Roskomnadzor confirmed it had delivered multiple formal demands to Roblox, requiring the immediate takedown of prohibited material.

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