Key facts
- Russia has lifted its ban on the gaming platform Roblox.
- The reversal followed tens of thousands of complaint letters from children and parents.
- Roblox implemented measures to protect children, including age-based access restrictions.
- The platform also committed to combating the spread of undesirable content.
- Russia had initially banned Roblox in December, citing extremist materials and LGBT propaganda.
Russia has lifted its ban on the popular gaming platform Roblox, reversing a decision made in December over accusations of distributing extremist materials and promoting "LGBT propaganda." The reversal comes after a significant public outcry, with tens of thousands of children and parents sending complaint letters to authorities.
Russia's digital ministry stated on Wednesday that Roblox had successfully implemented measures to "protect children, including by launching a mechanism to restrict access to games by age group." The platform has also committed to continuing efforts to combat the spread of undesirable content. State media regulator Roskomnadzor had initially blocked access to the U.S.-owned platform, citing concerns over content that could negatively impact children's development, including allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation.
Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the Kremlin-aligned Safe Internet League, reported receiving 63,000 letters from children aged eight to 16, with a notable portion expressing a desire to leave Russia due to the ban. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the presidential administration received numerous complaints. Roblox, which has over 100 million daily active users globally, with a significant portion being children under 13, was the most downloaded mobile game in Russia in 2023. The company stated it moderates content using human review and AI tools to remove exploitative material. The age-based account structure implemented by Roblox, including "Roblox Kids" and "Roblox Select," was reportedly sufficient to meet Russian legal requirements.