Russia Blocks Access to Roblox Due to LGBT Propaganda and Extremist Materials

In a recent development, Roskomnadzor, the telecommunications watchdog in Russia, has taken a drastic step by blocking access to the popular online gaming platform, Roblox. This action was prompted by the platform’s failure to prevent the distribution of what the watchdog described as LGBT propaganda and extremist materials.

According to a press statement released by Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, the decision to restrict access to Roblox was made in response to the widespread dissemination of materials promoting extremist and terrorist activities, as well as calls for illegal violent actions. The regulator also highlighted the promotion of LGBT topics within the platform as a contributing factor to the ban.

The statement further mentioned that instances of illegal behavior, such as users engaging in terrorist actions, attacking schools, and participating in gambling activities, have been observed within the game. This behavior, particularly when directed at children, has raised concerns both in the United States and Russia.

This move by Roskomnadzor follows a previous warning issued in November, where the watchdog stated that Roblox’s moderation team had repeatedly failed to block the distribution of unsafe materials on the platform.

Roblox, a popular online game that can be played on desktop and mobile platforms, has garnered significant traction in the gaming community. The Android version of Roblox has been downloaded over 1 billion times on the Google Play Store, while the iOS version boasts over 16 million ratings on Apple’s App Store.

Aside from Roblox, Roskomnadzor is reportedly considering banning WhatsApp, a widely used messaging platform with over 3 billion users across 180 countries. This potential ban aligns with Russia’s previous actions of blocking encrypted messaging services like Viber and Signal for violating anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws.

Additionally, in March 2023, Roskomnadzor prohibited government and state agencies from using several foreign messaging platforms, including Discord, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WhatsApp, and WeChat. The regulator also implemented multiple waves of bans on virtual private network (VPN) applications in January 2020, June 2021, and December 2021.

Despite these developments, a spokesperson for Roblox was unavailable for comment when contacted by BleepingComputer.

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