Russian ban on Roblox gaming platform sparks rare protest
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Mon, December 15, 2025 at 5:15 AM EST
STORY: Russia's ban on gaming platform Roblox led to a rare public protest on Sunday (December 14).
Several dozen people gathered in the Siberian city of Tomsk as public frustration on the issue grew.
Visuals provided from protest organizers showed their signs read 'Hands off Roblox' and 'Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain'.
It showed around 25 people standing in a circle in the snow.
"It is a good game. It is an educational game. So children can be educated there and when they become older they will create there their own game worlds."
Russian regulators said earlier this month they banned Roblox because it had too much inappropriate content.
They added Roblox could hurt the spiritual and moral development of children.
The Roblox ban has led to a debate over censorship in the country.
It has also driven discussions over child safety in relation to technology and even the effectiveness of censorship in a digitalised world.
Some Russian parents and teachers have argued they were worried Roblox allowed children to access sexual content and communicate with adults.
The U.S. children's gaming platform didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Although Roblox said it has "a deep commitment to safety" and provides strong "built-in protections to help keep users safe" when the Russian ban came in.
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