Featured Image Credit: Roblox Corporation
Topics: PC, Xbox, PlayStation
In a turn of events that perhaps all of us expected, Roblox has been banned in one major country as a result of its LGBTQIA+ content.
Roblox, the online game platform and game creation system, has officially been banned in Russia by its communication watchdog as of 3 December.
With the game reportedly being “rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children,” Roblox is now inaccessible via site or app for Russian residents.
There is no denying that Roblox does have some issues with safety, especially considering that the hit game is mainly used by children. As a result, they can be the subject of paedophilia or grooming at the hands of adult users.
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However, it seems as though this is not Russia’s main concern. Instead, it is worried about the potential LGBTQIA+ content that its residents are exposed to on the video game.
After all, we are all aware of Russia’s stance on the LGBTQIA+ community with the country calling the “International Public LGBT Movement” an "extremist organisation” back in 2023.
With spreading “gay propaganda” being a criminal offence as of 2013, Russian residents are not allowed to even discuss LGBTQIA+ topics, let alone engage in same-sex relationships themselves.
Add to the fact that Roblox users can create any content within the online game space, with some of this including “gay content”, it is surprising that it took Russia this long to ban the game.
According to Interfax, Russia’s communication watchdog Roskomnadzor released a statement explaining that Roblox has “registered facts of massive and repeated dissemination of materials with propaganda and justification of extremist and terrorist activities”.
As a result, it “calls for committing illegal violent actions and LGBT propaganda.”
You heard it here first.
Ahead of the ban, Roskomnadzor has released yet another statement really hammering home how it felt about Roblox’s potential “harmful” content.
Roblox has “game locations where users can become perpetrators of terrorist actions, attack a school, and gamble.”
Additionally, “Children are molested in the game, they are lured to provide their intimate photos, are being involved in sexual misconduct and violence as Roblox is popular with pedophiles, who meet minors right in the game chats and then switch over to real life.”
Sexual misconduct is indeed a real issue that plagues Roblox, however, with Roskomnadzor previously drawing attention to the game’s promotion of attributes of the LGBT community”, what is the real issue here?
Nevertheless, Roblox is now inaccessible in Russia and with 4 million of its users expected to be avid players, this will see a drastic effect on the game’s popularity.
Following the news, Reuters reached out to the Roblox creators who had the following to say:
“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.”