Effectively immediately, Roblox has been banned in Turkey for the forseeable future.
As spotted by GamesIndustry, the creation platform was banned for “content that could lead to the exploitation of children,” said the country’s Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç. “It is everyone’s duty to look out for, protect and support the best interests of our children, the guarantor of our future.” No specific instances of exploitation were given, but questions about safety on platforms like Roblox and Fortnite have been raised for several years.
Turkey marks the first country to take a stand overRoblox’s alleged child safety issues. In late July, a Bloomberg report claimed the platform was a haven for child predators, and that possible ways to reduce their presence were shot down.
While Roblox Corp. initially denied the report’s claims, CEO David Baszucki later acknowledged the company needed better saftey methods.
In response to the ban, Roblox Corp. told Eurogamer it would “respects the laws and regulations in countries where we operate. We look forward to working together to ensure Roblox is back online in Turkey as soon as possible.”