What just happened? Russia has blocked access to online game creation platform Roblox. Explaining the reasons why, Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor says the child-focused game is used to distribute and justify extremist content and spread LGBTQ "propaganda." The move comes as Roblox faces mounting pressure in the US for failing to protect its young users from predators.
Russia has banned Roblox in the country over fears that it is rife with inappropriate content that can "negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children." According to state-owned news agency TASS, the measure was taken due to the site's systematic distribution of materials containing propaganda and justification of extremist and terrorist activity, calls for violent actions, and information related to LGBTQ issues.
While Roblox has faced plenty of controversy and even lawsuits related to the number of child predators on the platform, Russia's ban does appear to be mostly based on the presence of LGBTQ content in the game. Russian laws designate public LGBTQ advocacy as extremist activity. The showing of "non-traditional sexual relations" is banned in Russian film, TV, books, music, theatre, and games.
"We respect the local laws and regulations in the countries where we operate and believe Roblox provides a positive space for learning, creation and meaningful connection for everyone," a Roblox spokesperson said. "We have a deep commitment to safety and we have a robust set of proactive and preventative safety measures designed to catch and prevent harmful content on our platform."
In 2023, Russia said it wanted to protect its youth from the "negative influence" of games and hoped to create a banned list of popular titles that use "hidden inserts" to "affect the conscious and subconscious mind" – anything that offended the Russian government's sensibilities, basically.
Roblox has made plenty of headlines for not doing enough to protect its young users. In August, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the company over claims it had become a haven for child exploitation and sexual predators.
In November, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also filed a lawsuit against Roblox Corporation. The AG alleged that it flagrantly disregards state and federal laws designed to protect young users, despite hosting one of the largest gaming communities for children.
Roblox has tried to address these issues by announcing new age estimation technology designed to prevent children from communicating with unknown adults. The company uses a form of facial analysis to estimate a user's age and place them in an age bracket to customize their experience, including limiting chat access or grouping them with similarly aged users.
Roblox has 380 million monthly active users and 88.9 million daily active users as of late 2024/early 2025. It also has over 1.5 billion user accounts globally. According to Appfigures, it has been installed around 70 million times in Russia on mobile, with 8 million downloads this year alone.
Russia bans Roblox over claims it spreads extremist and LGBTQ "propaganda"
