ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have joined other Gulf nations in imposing restrictions on the popular US-based gaming platform Roblox, citing child safety concerns.

According to Anadolu’s monitoring, the restrictions across the Gulf vary in scope — from operational limitations to partial bans and temporary suspensions pending review of concerns.

Saudi measures

Saudi state broadcaster Al-Ekhbariya reported Thursday that the General Commission for Audiovisual Media ordered Roblox to disable both text and voice chats and enhance content monitoring.

Hattan Tawaili, head of the commission’s Electronic Games Department, said the suspension of chat functions is a temporary measure “to improve and develop regulatory tools to ensure user protection and strengthen a safe gaming environment.”

Roblox confirmed in a statement carried by Saudi media that it is “committed to the requirements of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media regarding content oversight and addressing violations inside the game.”

The company added that, after discussions with several Saudi government bodies, it pledged to “develop and enhance our capabilities in Arabic-language communication and content moderation.”

According to a 2024 report by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, Roblox ranked as the second-most downloaded mobile game in the kingdom.

UAE stance

In the UAE, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority announced on Thursday that new amendments have been introduced in cooperation with Roblox to enhance digital safety for users, particularly children.

The changes included “temporarily disabling some communication features such as in-game chat, as part of precautionary measures to protect younger age groups,” according to a statement.

The amendments also involved improving Arabic-language content moderation, enhancing parental control tools, and introducing additional safety features.

Arab restrictions

Kuwait’s Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority said in a statement on Aug. 21 that it had blocked Roblox in the country.

The move was based on its legal mandate to protect users, particularly children, amid complaints from parents and officials over “unsafe practices, online exploitation, harmful behaviors, as well as inappropriate content and unsafe purchasing practices.”

The regulator stressed the suspension was temporary until negotiations with the company concluded and until Roblox committed to removing harmful content and ensuring adequate child protection.

On Aug. 13, Qatar also banned Roblox “to safeguard the behavior of children and adolescents,” according to local media, including Al Jazeera.

In June, Oman’s official telecommunications regulator confirmed to local newspaper Atheer that Roblox was formally banned in the country.

Platform under fire

Last month, the US state of Louisiana filed a lawsuit against Roblox accusing the company of facilitating child exploitation.

Roblox rejected the allegations as “false,” according to the BBC.

Roblox is a free, interactive gaming platform created nearly two decades ago that has become highly popular among children and teenagers worldwide.

Its central feature is enabling users to “design their own virtual worlds” with simple programming tools, embark on adventures, play collectively with others, and interact in real-time across borders.

The game has drawn around 85 million users, 40% of whom are under 13, according to a May report by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

In 2023 alone, over 13,000 cases of child exploitation were recorded on the platform in the US, with 1,200 official reports submitted to Roblox about abuse cases.

US financial news outlet Bloomberg reported in 2024 that US police had arrested at least 24 individuals since 2018 on charges related to kidnapping or mistreating people they met or lured through Roblox.

The company also said in August that its average daily active users reached 111.8 million, who send 6.1 billion chat messages and upload their creations to the service.

The global video games market continues to expand rapidly, with more than 3.4 billion players or app users, and an estimated value approaching $200 billion, according to unofficial 2024 statistics.