The Turkish government has recently blocked access to Roblox following an investigation that revealed content on the platform that could potentially lead to child exploitation. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç emphasized the government’s responsibility to protect children, citing the country’s Constitution as the basis for this action.
Roblox, a popular online platform, has responded by acknowledging the block in Turkey and expressing a commitment to resolving the issue. In a statement on its website, the company said, “On August 7, we learned that Roblox was blocked in Türkiye, and we are working urgently to understand the issue with the goal of resolving it.” The company highlighted the importance of the platform to millions of users in Turkey, including a significant community of developers who rely on Roblox for their businesses. Roblox also reiterated its dedication to ensuring the safety of its community and its respect for the laws in countries where it operates.
Eric Porterfield, a spokesperson for Roblox, expressed the company’s desire to collaborate with Turkish authorities to restore access to the platform as soon as possible. “We respect the laws and regulations in countries where we operate and share local lawmakers’ commitment to protecting children,” Porterfield stated.
This move against Roblox follows Turkey’s recent decision to block access to Instagram, although no official reason was provided for that action by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. Earlier this year, Meta temporarily shut down access to Threads in Turkey due to regulatory issues. Turkey also made headlines in 2020 when it lifted a ban on Wikipedia after more than two years.
