Roskomnadzor Open to Restoring Roblox Access If Compliance Measures are Taken

Russia’s state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Wednesday that it may consider lifting the ban on the online gaming platform Roblox if the US-based company takes necessary steps to adhere to Russian legislative requirements.

Earlier this month, Roskomnadzor blocked access to Roblox, citing concerns regarding child safety and accusations of promoting “extremist” material, including what is referred to as “LGBT propaganda.” At the time of the ban, it was estimated that there were around 18 million Roblox users in Russia.

The decision to block the platform sparked protests both online and offline and resulted from Roblox’s continuous failure to meet security-related demands.

On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor revealed that Roblox’s management had reached out and expressed a willingness to address the issues raised.

“We appreciate the platform’s readiness to collaborate and amend its operations within Russia,” stated Roskomnadzor.

“If this willingness translates into real actions aimed at enhancing online child safety, we are open to working with Roblox, just like we would with any other service that adheres to Russian law,” the agency added.

Roblox later confirmed that it had initiated discussions with Roskomnadzor and expressed its preparedness to revise its content moderation strategies and “temporarily restrict communication features in Russia” in order to regain access in the nation.

Based in California, Roblox Corporation claims to utilize both human reviewers and artificial intelligence tools for moderating content and eliminating material deemed harmful.

Roskomnadzor noted that the company acknowledged its deficiencies in moderating in-game content and user communications.

With approximately 100 million daily users worldwide, children under 13 represent about 40% of its user base as of 2024, according to the company. In 2023, it was the most downloaded mobile game in Russia.

Last week, the Kremlin reported that its communications department had received numerous complaints from children across Russia regarding the Roblox ban.

Yekaterina Mizulina, a pro-Kremlin advocate for censorship, claimed she received tens of thousands of letters from young children and teenagers concerning the platform’s prohibition. Many expressed a desire to leave Russia due to the ban.