Finance
Russia blocks access to US children's gaming platform Roblox
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 3, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Russia has blocked Roblox, accusing it of extremist content and LGBT propaganda. The platform, with 151.5 million daily users, faces bans in other countries too.
Dec 3 (Reuters) - Russia has blocked access to the U.S. children's gaming platform Roblox, accusing it of distributing extremist materials and "LGBT propaganda".
Announcing the move on Wednesday, the communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said Roblox was "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children".
Roblox Corp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Roblox, which averaged 151.5 million daily active users in the third quarter of this year, has been banned by several countries including Iraq and Turkey over concerns about predators exploiting the platform to abuse children.
The company says on its website it is rigorously committed to keeping users safe, including via AI tools, moderation teams and collaboration with law enforcement and child safety experts.
Roskomnadzor has a long track record of restricting access to Western media and tech platforms that it deems to be hosting content that breaches Russian laws.
Last year, language-learning app Duolingo deleted references to what Russia calls "non-traditional sexual relations" after being warned by the watchdog about publishing LGBT content.
In 2023, Russia designated what it called the "international LGBT movement" as extremist and those supporting it as terrorists, paving the way for serious criminal cases against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their advocates.
In August this year, Russia began limiting some calls on WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, and on Telegram, accusing the foreign-owned platforms of refusing to share information with law enforcement in fraud and terrorism cases. Roskomnadzor last week threatened to block WhatsApp completely.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov and Mark Trevelyan. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Roblox is a popular online gaming platform that allows users to create and play games created by other users. It has millions of active users, particularly among children and teenagers.
Extremist content refers to materials that promote radical ideologies or violence, often inciting hatred or discrimination against particular groups. It can include propaganda, hate speech, or other harmful messages.
LGBT propaganda refers to materials or messages that promote the rights and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. It can include educational content aimed at fostering understanding and inclusivity.
Online safety involves practices and measures taken to protect users from risks associated with the internet, including cyberbullying, identity theft, and exposure to inappropriate content.
Roskomnadzor is the Russian Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media. It regulates and monitors media and internet content in Russia.
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