Russian Ministry Requests Support to Lift Ban on Roblox Platform
Background and Recent Developments in the Roblox Ban
Ministry's Appeal to Law Enforcement
MOSCOW, June 9 (Reuters) - Russia's digital ministry said on Tuesday it had asked law enforcement to support lifting a ban on the U.S. gaming platform Roblox RBLX.N, based on assurances that the company would provide extra protection for young users and comply with Russian law.
Initial Ban and Public Reaction
The communications watchdog Roskomnadzor announced the ban last December on grounds of child safety, annoying some Russian users and even sparking a rare protest in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
Ministry's Statement and Guarantees from Roblox
"In connection with the guarantees of responsible conduct in the Russian market provided by Roblox, the Ministry of Digital Development, together with Roskomnadzor, has appealed to the relevant law enforcement authorities with a request to support the lifting of restrictions," the ministry said in a statement.
Planned Safety Measures by Roblox
It said Roblox would impose age-based access restrictions on certain games and implement other measures to prevent the spread of harmful content.
Roblox's Response to the Ban
In the wake of the ban, Roblox said it would be willing to make changes to some of its features in Russia.
(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
