Russia Bans Roblox Over Extremist Content — Is the U.S. Next?
Roblox’s rough year just got worse: Russia has banned the mega platform after watchdog Roskomnadzor deemed it harmful to children, even as the company faces mounting lawsuits and intensifying legal scrutiny. The controversies show no sign of easing.
Roblox just ran into another wall. Russia has cut off access nationwide, and the platform is juggling lawsuits back home in the U.S. If it feels like this has been going on forever, that is because Roblox has been stuck in controversy mode for more than a year.
Russia just blocked Roblox
On December 3, 2025, Russia's media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor said it ordered a countrywide block on Roblox (via Interfax). The agency argues the platform repeatedly allowed content it considers dangerous for kids, and that Roblox's own moderation does not guarantee 100% child safety. Officials also framed the issue as one that could harm children's spiritual and moral development.
Roskomnadzor cited the presence of 'extremist materials', 'calls for violence', and 'LGBT propaganda'.
In other words, not a gentle rebuke. Russia is a sizable audience to lose, and for a platform already under a microscope, the optics are rough.
Where else Roblox is blocked (or was)
Russia is not alone. A bunch of countries have either banned Roblox outright or restricted it in the last few years:
- Algeria — September 16, 2025
- China — December 2021
- Iran — date not publicly known
- Iraq — October 20, 2025
- Jordan — date not publicly known
- Kuwait — August 21, 2025 (ban lifted with new safety rules on October 28, 2025)
- Maldives — August 2025
- Myanmar — date not publicly known
- Nepal — September 2025
- North Korea — date not publicly known
- Oman — sometime in 2021
- Palestine — November 17, 2025
- Qatar — August 13, 2025
- Turkey — August 7, 2024
- United Arab Emirates — banned 2018–2021; currently unbanned with chat restrictions
- Vietnam — August 2024
Meanwhile, the U.S. heat is turning up
Roblox's home market is not giving it a pass. The company is facing a wave of lawsuits and regulatory pressure over alleged child-safety failures. Texas and Louisiana filings are front and center, with accusations that Roblox has prioritized profit over protection and exposed kids to predators. Even when Roblox patches one hole, bad actors seem to find another.
There have also been recent legal claims tying the platform to more serious wrongdoing, which it has been busy fighting off. None of this helps when you are trying to convince regulators and parents your platform is safe.
Big picture
Losing Russia hurts, and the growing list of bans and restrictions does not help the brand. Between international blocks and U.S. lawsuits, Roblox is under pressure from both sides. The only real path out is a safety overhaul big enough to change the conversation, not just the settings menu.
If you were in charge, what would you fix first?