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Russia has shut down access to Roblox, one of the most popular gaming platforms of the country, claiming the service spreads extremist materials and hosts inappropriate content targeting children, state media reported Wednesday.
The move affects millions of Russian users who play the California-based platform, which ranked as Russia's most downloaded mobile game in 2023. Users across the country began reporting connection problems Wednesday morning as the block took effect, according to internet monitoring services.
Russia's media watchdog Roskomnadzor issued a statement accusing Roblox of hosting inappropriate content that could harm children's development. The regulator painted a disturbing picture of the platform's environment, stating that "children in the game are subjected to sexual harassment, intimate photos are tricked out of them, and they are coerced into committing depraved acts and violence."
The agency said the platform had become saturated with material "that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children."
Roblox Corporation, headquartered in California, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ban.
Roblox operates as a user-generated gaming platform where players create and share their own games with others. The service attracts approximately 100 million daily users worldwide, with children under 13 representing roughly 40 percent of its 2024 user base, according to company figures.
The platform's popularity among young audiences has previously drawn scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. Qatar, Iraq and Türkiye have all banned Roblox, primarily over child safety concerns. In the United States, Texas and Louisiana have filed lawsuits against the company on similar grounds.
Roblox Corporation maintains that it actively polices content through a combination of human reviewers and artificial intelligence systems designed to identify and remove exploitative material.
The Roblox ban fits within Russia's expanding effort to control foreign internet services, which digital rights advocates characterize as part of a systematic attempt to monitor and restrict online activity. Last week, Roskomnadzor announced it was weighing a potential ban on WhatsApp, currently the country's second most widely used messaging application, claiming the platform failed to prevent criminal activity.
Russia has steadily increased pressure on international technology companies in recent years, frequently threatening bans or imposing restrictions on platforms that decline to comply with government content demands or data storage requirements.
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