How safe are children playing Roblox? Gulf states move to ban platform amid content concerns

Developer faces criticism over inappropriately dressed avatars and the ability for adults to converse with children

Countries around the world have made moves to ban Roblox after a string of high-profile lawsuits. Reuters

Countries across the Middle East have signalled that they either have or intend to impose restrictions on the popular online gaming platform Roblox, amid safety concerns for the millions of children who play it worldwide.

Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey blocked the platform in August, while it remains banned in Oman and Jordan.

After a string of high-profile lawsuits in the US, the US state of Louisiana this week sued the developers of the game, Roblox Corporation, alleging that the company failed to implement substantial safety controls and “knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the United States”.

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“Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritises user growth, revenue and profits over child safety,” said Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill. “Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger posed to their children by Roblox, so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home.”

The company said it would “address erroneous claims and misconceptions about our platform, our commitment to safety and our overall safety track record".

The case follows an April 2025 report by digital behaviour experts Revealing Reality, which found “a troubling disconnect between Roblox’s child-friendly appearance and the reality of what children experience on the platform”.

Countries introduce bans

In Kuwait, the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority announced on August 21 that it was temporarily blocking the game after parents and community organisations expressed concerns over child safety on the platform.

Qatar blocked access to the game on August 13. So far, the government has not released a statement on the move.

Turkey blocked it on August 7 and the company responded by saying it was "working with local authorities with the goal of resolving it". The ban remains in place.

In the UAE, Roblox was banned between 2018 and 2021. In Oman and Jordan, the platform has been banned since 2020. China, the Netherlands and Belgium have also taken measures to either block, partially ban or curtail access to Roblox.

What is Roblox?

Roblox is a free-to-play online gaming platform that hosts millions of user-created games. Getty Images

Founded in 2006, Roblox is a free-to-play online gaming platform that hosts millions of user-created games, called “experiences”, which are created through Roblox Studio. In-game purchases are bought using its virtual currency robux, which game developers can exchange for real-world currency.

In the second quarter of 2025, 39.7 million daily active users of Roblox Corporation games were under the age of 13, according to data website Statista.

What are the alleged dangers in Roblox?

The reasons for the bans have included concerns over harmful content, nude or inappropriately dressed avatars and the ability for adults to converse with children, raising the risks of predatory behaviour.

A study carried out by UK research agency Revealing Reality found that Roblox accounts for fictional users aged five, nine, 10, 13 and over 40 were created, and instructed only to interact with each other.

“In a short space of time, we revealed something deeply disturbing. Despite the safety features in place, adults and children can easily interact in the same virtual spaces with no effective age verification or separation,” the report said. “Our research confirmed that an account registered as a 42-year-old could add and publicly interact with our accounts registered as children as young as five years old and privately chat with accounts registered as 13 years old and above.

“Additionally, our account registered as a 10-year-old child was able to freely access highly suggestive environments. In these spaces, children were able to both observe and participate in conversations that often strayed into adult themes.”

In February, Bloomberg News reported that Roblox was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for undisclosed reasons. This came on the heels of a comprehensive report by Bloomberg that said US police “arrested at least two dozen people accused of abducting or abusing victims they’d met or groomed using Roblox”.

Keeping your child safe

Parents can restrict what technology and games their children have access to. But with iPads a must for children at school, access to the latest games is constantly at their fingertips, so parents must be aware of new developments.

Parents should consider spending time on Roblox themselves to get an idea of what kind of games are available. Adults should create their own account linked to their child’s and set up strong parental controls. Adding an account pin number will lock parental settings and prevent children from changing them.

“Restrict in-game purchases by limiting or disabling spending to avoid unexpected charges and reduce pressure to buy,” says Mudresh Shah, a manager at cyber security company Help AG. “Monitor your child’s chats and their online friends so you know who your child is interacting with and encourage open conversations about online safety. Teach safe clicking by showing them how to avoid suspicious links and downloads to prevent malware and enable two-factor authentication, which adds extra security beyond just passwords.”

'So much responsibility is passed on to parents'

The gaming platform Roblox is banned in several countries across the Middle East. AP

Dima, a mother-of-two in the UAE says her 13-year-old son regularly plays games on the platform. “At first, I didn’t really know what it was,” she says. “I thought Roblox was itself a game, I didn’t realise it was a place where there are so many different games.

"We have parental controls on YouTube and we have a family rule that iPads can only be played on if we parents are here too. But I know we cannot be watching their screens all the time.

“I think games companies have a responsibility to keep the people who play their games safe. So much responsibility when using technology is passed on to parents who are already so busy themselves. I agree we must be looking out for our kids, but companies must also act.”

What has Roblox said about the controversy?

Earlier this year, the company added further parental controls to the platform, which gave parents who provided an ID or credit card access to three tools, including the friend management tool. This allows parents to block anyone on their child’s friends list and report those they feel breach Roblox policies. Parents can also change the content maturity level for their child’s account and access detailed screen-time insights.

In a statement, the company said online safety for children was “an issue that goes beyond Roblox and needs to be addressed through collaboration with governments and an industry-wide commitment to strong safety measures across all platforms”.

“The challenges with online age verification are that it’s easy to bypass by entering false birth dates,” said Shah. “There are also personal data risks, due to privacy concerns and poor security, and inconsistent methods across platforms, which can lead to gaps in protection.”