Why was Roblox banned in Turkey?

One of many bans Turkey has been hit with recently.

The Roblox logo on top of a bunch of different game icons with a circle and a dash through it.
Image via Roblox. Remix by Dot Esports

Roblox is a massive game with nearly limitless potential as players can freely create just about any type of game they want. But this freedom can also play a part in certain issues like Turkey deciding to ban Roblox.

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This is a massive decision that affects a lot of players, which means you may be interested in learning the full reasoning behind it. Here’s a full breakdown of why Roblox was banned in Turkey.

Why did Roblox get banned in Turkey?

Standing on a bridge looking up at the pink, red, orange, green, and yellow team flags for The Games in Roblox.
I guess they won’t be participating in The Games. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Roblox was banned in Turkey primarily due to concerns that it included “content that could lead to the exploitation of children” according to a statement made by Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç on X (formerly Twitter) on Aug. 8.

The Minister of Justice elaborated on this by saying they want to “ensure the protection” of all children. Roblox has been “blocked by the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace” in an effort to “take the necessary measures” to protect them.

This statement comes one day after the ban that occurred on Aug. 7. It also follows a few other bans in Turkey across various social media sites, which has led to general censorship concerns overall.

Roblox boasts a wide variety of unique games, with more being created constantly, so there’s a lot of freedom on the platform. This oftentimes leads to some whacky creations like Shrek Swamp Tycoon and Diddy Simulator, but the concern seems to be that Roblox is also a potential threat to children’s safety, which is why Turkey chose to ban it.

The Minister of Justice also said that “using technology in a negative way is never acceptable” but didn’t provide any examples of whether a specific incident had occurred in Roblox that sparked this decision or if this is just about the game overall.

“Attempts to undermine our social structure, abuse of children, encouragement of violence, and activities that will negatively affect the development of our children, each of whom is a precious gift, will never be allowed,” the Minister of Justice said.

There’s no further information on this ban currently beyond this statement, but it’s likely additional information and a more in-depth explanation will be unveiled as this situation develops.

Author
Image of Kacee Fay
Kacee Fay
Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.