Roblox is a kid’s game. But that apparently hasn’t stopped the Turkish government from banning the massively popular sandbox title in the country a few days after similar bans were passed on social media sites like Instagram and Wattpad.
According to several Turkish outlets and thousands of disgruntled Roblox players on social media, a ban on Roblox went into place in Turkey today, Aug. 7. The move follows similar bans on different social media sites, sparking censorship concerns for players and general observers alike. Instagram was banned in the country on Aug. 2 after the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed the platform was censoring posts of “Palestinian martyrs.” There’s been no reason given for the country’s reported ban on Roblox as of yet.
The reason for the reported ban most likely has to do with Roblox’s social elements and how the huge sandbox platform allows users to create their own games within its bounds. Roblox isn’t just some game; it’s a huge platform for players and game developers to interact and share ideas and games. That social element is part of what drives millions to the game. But with so much of that audience being children, it’s also landed the platform in hot water when it comes to child safety concerns.
Turkey’s ban has put a bind on both players and game developers attempting to use Roblox to make their own creations. As it stands, it’s unclear if the Turkish government will announce its reasons for the reported ban—or when the ban will be lifted, for that matter.
That’s a lot of geopolitical reasoning for banning a children’s game in an entire country, but such is the state of the world right now.
