Russia bans Roblox citing content concerns, state media reports

Russia has banned Roblox, with state media reporting concerns over LGBTQ content and safety issues on the platform

Russia has banned the online gaming platform Roblox, according to reports published by Russian state media.

The decision was first detailed in an article from TASS, the state-owned news agency, which stated that the country’s communications agency raised concerns about the presence of LGBTQ content on the platform. Russia designates public LGBTQ advocacy as “extremist activity,” and this classification was cited as a factor in the restriction.

Roblox is a user-generated platform that allows players to build and share their own games and experiences, drawing comparisons to Minecraft. It hosts a broad range of interest-based communities, including military roleplay and LGBTQ solidarity groups.

The ban follows ongoing scrutiny of content and community interactions on the service. Roblox did not respond to a request for comment regarding the ban.

The action in Russia comes at a time when Roblox is addressing wider safety and moderation challenges. Reports in recent years have examined instances in which underage users were exposed to child predators on the platform. In the United States, the attorneys general of Texas and Louisiana have launched investigations into Roblox’s handling of child safety.

In response, Roblox has introduced new age verification systems and strengthened moderation policies. The company plans to implement mandatory facial verification for access to chat features beginning in January, though critics have raised questions about the risks associated with such technology.

Roblox has also instructed developers to label experiences that are “primarily themed on a sensitive social, political, or religious issue,” allowing parents of users under 13 to make decisions about access.

Advocacy groups including Out Making Games, Women in Games, and BAME in Games criticised the move, writing in an open letter that topics such as “pay equity in sports” had been categorised as sensitive. The groups argued that “parental controls serve an important purpose,” but said that such guidelines should not “legitimise discrimination or silence important voices.”

According to estimates from app intelligence firm Appfigures, Roblox has been installed around 70 million times in Russia on mobile devices, with approximately 8 million downloads recorded this year.