EXPLAINER - Global backlash grows against Roblox over risks to children

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) – In early February, Egypt became the latest country to impose measures against Roblox, the online gaming platform where millions of children and teens dive into user-generated “experiences,” interactive games, and simulations created by other users.

Launched in 2006, Roblox has evolved from a niche game-sharing site into a global digital empire, especially after its explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With 144 million daily active users as of late 2025, the platform has become a cultural touchstone for younger audiences, allowing players to create, share, and explore everything from simple pet-adoption games to complex virtual worlds.

The company’s Q4 2025 revenue of $1.42 billion exceeded expectations, yet age verification data revealed a younger user base than previously reported, with 35% of daily active users under 13, 38% age 13-17, and just 27% over 18, according to a shareholder letter.

As the platform’s economy grows, driven by its virtual currency Robux, so too does scrutiny of its impact on children, leading more countries to reconsider its place in their digital landscapes.

- Bans on Roblox worldwide

Numerous countries have taken steps against Roblox in recent years, citing child safety and content concerns.

China took action several years ago, with the gaming platform’s localized version, Roblox China or LuoBu, shut down around 2021.

In Türkiye, a full nationwide ban was imposed in 2024, citing risks of child exploitation and inadequate protections for minors, a decision still in effect as of early 2026.

In June 2025, Oman’s government confirmed that Roblox was formally banned in the country, while Qatar blocked it in August 2025, following a surge of social media calls highlighting child safety concerns.

Algeria followed suit, banning Roblox in September 2025 due to concerns about insufficient child protection and exposure to harassment, scams, and exploitation.

In Iraq, a nationwide ban was enforced starting last October following a study on child safety and cyber-extortion risks, with authorities citing the platform’s incompatibility with “social values and traditions.”

Palestine announced a complete ban on Roblox in November 2025, with Russia following a month later in December, and Egypt joined the list with its own ban in early February 2026.

- Bans and reversals

In several countries, Roblox faced bans that were eventually rescinded.

Roblox remained banned in the UAE from 2018 to 2021 due to concerns over harmful content, with the curbs lifted in 2021 following regulatory reviews.

Kuwait briefly blocked the platform in August 2025, citing child safety issues, but reversed the decision by October after Roblox implemented stricter controls, including chat restrictions and offensive content removal.

Jordan, which had restricted access since 2020 due to concerns over mental health and scams, unblocked the platform in December 2025. The move followed an agreement to limit chat and voice functions, with the platform now operating under tighter supervision.

In Nepal, a temporary ban was imposed in September 2025 as part of a broader crackdown on social media during mass anti-government protests.

- Partial bans and probes

In Belgium, games with paid random items, called loot boxes, have been fully blocked since 2018.

New Zealand has also introduced mandatory age checks, affecting multiplayer games and limiting interactions to people in the same age groups or the same country.

In the UAE, partial blocks by some service providers remain in force, and in-game chat and voice functions were disabled in late 2025 due to safety concerns.

In Indonesia, the government reportedly considered a ban in August 2025 due to violent and “immoral” content, asking Roblox to implement chat filters and stricter age ratings to avoid further action, while local school bans persist in some regions.

The UK has imposed loot box limits for under-18 users since around 2024, while Saudi Arabia suspended chat and voice functions in September 2025.

In Malaysia, authorities opted against a full ban but are enforcing tighter safety measures after reviewing safety concerns linked to child protection.

In late January, the Netherlands launched an investigation into Roblox to determine whether the platform has taken adequate measures to protect minors in the EU.

The Netherlands also has loot box bans in place, along with additional age verification measures for chat, voice and other functions, limiting users to same-age or same-country groups.

In Australia, the government requested a meeting with platform officials just this week, demanding urgent action to address concerns over child grooming and explicit content.

- Concerns over moderation, virtual trading, and user conduct

Roblox has long faced accusations of financial exploitation of child labor in game creation.

The company touts game creation as an accessible activity for young users, saying that it shares revenue with successful creators, but critics say the company retains a large portion of earnings.

Teams, rather than solo creators, are increasingly behind Roblox’s top games, with coordination often taking place on third-party social platforms such as Discord.

Many developers and project leads, including children, rely on informal agreements, raising frequent concerns over revenue, changing payment terms, or unfair treatment, while the platform offers limited formal protections.

Third-party websites that allow players to trade the platform’s currency Robux and virtual items outside Roblox’s official systems have become integral to the platform’s economy. These unregulated sites expose users, including children, to scams, malware, phishing, and illegal payment methods.

Roblox’s virtual marketplace, where players buy and sell limited-edition clothing and accessories for their avatars, has fueled a secondary market in which items can fetch thousands of dollars.

The lack of protection from financial risks exposes many underage users to potential losses, hacks, or addictive trading behavior.

The platform also relies on automated filters and human moderation, but critics say enforcement is inconsistent, while harmful content, including sexualized games and extremist role-play games, remains online.

- Growing legal challenges

In December, a US federal judicial panel in California said dozens of lawsuits accusing Roblox of failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation would be consolidated before a court in San Francisco.

The complaints said minors were sexually exploited and “in some cases, assaulted” by child predators who used Roblox to groom victims, later persuading them to exchange explicit images through other platforms.

Recently a group of 800 US parents, including those with active lawsuits, has called on Roblox’s board to halt its push to resolve sexual exploitation claims through private arbitration, a process that keeps details confidential, according to ABC News.

In November 2025, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Roblox, accusing the platform of becoming a “breeding ground for predators” and prioritizing profit over child safety by allowing predators to exploit and groom Texas children on its platform.

- Recent safety enhancements face pushback

In response to growing concerns over user safety, particularly for minors, Roblox has introduced chat restrictions by default and rolled out numerous updates, including advanced filters to block inappropriate content, stricter privacy rules for in-game spaces, and an AI tool to detect early signs of child endangerment.

The platform has expanded parental control options, allowing parents to monitor activity, set limits, and restrict communication.

Roblox implemented significant changes over the past year, including a mandatory age verification process for chat access, requiring users to confirm their age through facial recognition or ID starting in January.

However, the newly launched age verification system has sparked a backlash over misidentifications, decreased chat activity, and frustration from both players and developers, according to Wired magazine.