Roblox has been banned in Turkey less than a week after the country also barred access to popular photo-sharing social media platform, Instagram. The choice to remove access to Roblox, one of the biggest user-generated gaming platforms in the world, comes as Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, condemns several online platforms as being springboards for ‘digital fascism’.
Roblox is wildly different to the likes of Instagram, as well as huge short-form content platform TikTok which is apparently next up in the firing line. But, Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç recently – and, quite ironically – took to another form of social media to post the country’s reasons for banning Roblox, on his personal Twitter account. Roblox was officially barred by the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace with a particular focus on how the content found within the popular gaming platform could potentially lead to the exploitation of children.
Yilmaz Tunç went on to remind everyone that “Turkey is one of the countries that closely follows developments in the world and uses technology in the best way. However, using technology in a negative way is never acceptable. Everyone who thinks about the future of our country and our nation, and is in a position of responsibility, should approach such situations targeting our children with sensitivity, and stay away from populist and irresponsible rhetoric.” Fair enough.
Roblox has seen its fair share of controversy when it comes to the safety of children, with a class-action lawsuit filed against the gaming giant earlier this year surrounding concerns of child labor and an addicting, exploitative gaming experience. So while the move from Turkish authorities might feel drastic, it appears to come from a place of protection.
However, on the other side of the coin, there’s the concern that this is largely a means of censorship, considering how popular Roblox is, not just in Turkey, but around the world. Many of the most popular Roblox games are user-generated, and it can afford young people a means of expression, experimentation, and a way to get their foot in the door of an industry that traditional education can never seem to open quite as easily.
Roblox has officially responded to the ban, saying “We are aware that Roblox is currently unavailable in Turkey and we have contacted the relevant authorities to find out why and to make sure we are back online as soon as possible.” Whether the sandbox gaming platform will ever reappear on Turkish servers remains to be seen.
Unfortunately, if you’re in Turkey right now, then you won’t be able to snap up the latest Roblox codes. But if you’re anywhere else in the world we’ve got plenty of Dress To Impress codes, Anime Defenders codes, and Gym League codes for you to make up for it.