Roblox Russia ban
Russia recently banned US gaming platform Roblox stating it was “rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children”. According to a report by news agency Reuters, several people protested against the ban in the Siberian city of Tomsk.The protestors were reportedly holding up hand-drawn placards reading “Hands off Roblox” and “Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain” in Vladimir Vysotsky Park. The publication claims to have seen photos from the protest which showed about 25 people standing in a circle in the snow, holding up placards. “Bans and blocks are all you are able to do,” read one placard.Moscow currently bans social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook,Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube. Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor announced the Roblox ban on December 13, triggering a debate over censorship, child safety in relation to technology and even the effectiveness of censorship in a digitalised world where children can bypass many bans in a few clicks. The ban can easily be circumvented by using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). As per the report, some young Russians have questioned the logic of a ban if it can be so easily bypassed while others have questioned why there are so few Russian alternatives to the apps which the state has banned.Russia is not the only country that has banned Roblox. The company headquartered in San Mateo, California, has been banned by several countries including Iraq and Turkey over concerns about predators exploiting the platform to abuse children. Some Russian parents and teachers, as reported by Reuters, have said they were concerned Roblox allowed children to access sexual content and communicate with adults.Commenting on the Russian ban, Roblox said it has “a deep commitment to safety” and provides “rigorous built-in protections to help keep users safe”.
