A ban in Russia that prohibited children from playing Roblox, a popular online gaming program, was lifted after 63,000 children and parents petitioned the Kremlin to restore access.
The overwhelming response provides insight into the allure of online gaming.
Why was the platform blocked?
Roskomnadzor, the state media regulator, blocked access to the U.S.-owned gaming platform in December 2025, and accused the platform of being “rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children.”
The platform exposed children to “LGBT propaganda” and sexual harassment, Roskomnadzor claimed.
A Roblox spokesperson told the BBC the Roblox company has “a deep commitment to safety and we have a robust set of proactive and preventative safety measures designed to catch and prevent harmful content on our platform.”
This restriction cut off 18 million monthly users, The Next Web estimates, and came shortly after internet freedom in Russia hit a new low.
Soon after the ban was announced, children started complaining
Yekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, a state-sponsored Russian internet censorship organization, said she received 63,000 emails of protest from Russian children and parents.
“A crucial issue is that young people do not understand the reasons behind certain decisions,” she wrote in a post on social media.
“They are not provided with clear evidence or explanations, yet they are accustomed to verifying everything—even the words of their own parents. This leads to misunderstanding and mistrust. That is a bad thing, and it worries me."
Russian ministry says Roblox is allowed back after implementing new safety measures
In the same month that Roblox was blocked, Roskomnadzor reported that the company expressed its willingness to adjust its operations to comply with Russian law, a local news outlet reported.
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media issued a press release announcing that Roblox had “met all the legal requirements regarding user safety” and “can now be used again throughout Russia,” The Asia Business Daily reports.
“The corporation has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to further protect children, including launching a mechanism to restrict access to games by age group,” the ministry said.
Why was the response to the ban so strong?
The strong response is likely due to the fact that Roblox is the most popular gaming app in Russia, with 10 million downloads in 2023, Forbes reports.
What makes the game so popular?
“Roblox has a number of features available to game developers, including every psychological trick that would make a game habit-forming,” said Andrew Fishman, a licensed clinical social worker, in an article published by Psychology Today.
The high level of creative freedom in the game is appealing to young minds, as well as the fact that it is easily accessible from almost all types of devices.
Additionally, the game features a prevalent social aspect. Users can join online communities, play collaboratively with friends in real-time and attend virtual events within the game.
Roblox is facing multiple lawsuits over claims it is addictive and has allegedly not protected children adequately from sexual abuse.
The ban didn’t last, but the underlying issue remains
Mizulina said children’s complaints about — and sometimes flat-out disobedience to — the ban shows that additional measures are needed to ensure child safety online.
“The key point is that children aren’t simply going to stop playing games overnight,” she said. “The core issue here is how to block provocateurs, scammers, and pedophiles from gaining access to people’s homes. The entire world is grappling with this problem.”
Mizulina suggested alternate solutions, including using AI to track criminals online and encouraging children to spend time offline.
Kremlin spokesperon Dmitry Peskov was asked if this Roblox case, of a platform being banned and then re-authorized, could apply to other banned services.
“It shows that any service can resume operations if it complies with the law,” Peskov said.