Turkish authorities have blocked access to Roblox, a popular online game platform, shortly after imposing a similar ban on Instagram.
The decision was made by the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace, according to information available on the website of the Turkish telecommunications authority (BTK).
Instagram has been banned in Turkey since the BTK blocked access to the platform on Friday, with government officials and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accusing the platform of censorship and failing to remove posts they deem offensive.
Roblox, developed by American company the Roblox Corporation, has a large user base among children and teenagers in Turkey. The ban comes amid increasing scrutiny and regulation of online platforms by Turkish authorities. The exact reasons for the court order have not been detailed publicly, but it follows a pattern of restricting access to various social media and online services in recent years.
#Roblox has been banned in Turkey. Many game developers in Turkey used Roblox as a platform to create and earn a living including me. I don't know what to do anymore.#FreeRoblox @robloxdevrel @Roblox
— Zelqify (@ZelqifyDev) August 7, 2024
Roblox is an online game platform that allows users to program and play games created by themselves or others, with over 196 million monthly active users as of March 2024. Despite its popularity, it has faced criticism for its moderation, microtransactions and alleged exploitative practices toward children.
President Erdoğan’s administration has been accused of suppressing freedom of expression and information, with Turkey ranking among the “not free” countries in terms of internet freedom, according to a report by Freedom House.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Roblox Corporation regarding the ban. Users in Turkey are unable to access the platform.