The Iraqi government has announced a nationwide ban on the U.S.-based gaming platform Roblox (RBLX.O), citing child safety and moral concerns, as part of a wider crackdown across the Middle East on online games and virtual worlds.
Officials said the decision followed a comprehensive government study and field monitoring, which found that Roblox enabled direct communication between users — a feature they claimed exposed children and adolescents to online exploitation, cyber-extortion, and harmful behavior. The government also said the game’s content was “incompatible with Iraq’s social values and traditions.”
Roblox Corporation responded that safety was its top priority and expressed interest in working with Iraqi authorities to restore access. “We strongly contest recent claims made by the Iraqi authorities, which we believe are based on an outdated understanding of our platform,” a company spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Roblox had already suspended certain communication features, such as in-game chat, in Arabic-speaking regions, including Iraq, earlier this year as part of ongoing safety updates.
The Iraqi Ministry of Communications stated that the platform “involves several security, social, and behavioral risks,” emphasizing that the move was taken to protect young users.
The ban aligns Iraq with other Middle Eastern nations that have tightened regulation of digital entertainment platforms. In August 2024, Turkey similarly blocked access to Roblox, citing risks of child exploitation and abuse.
Analysts say the decision reflects a broader regional effort to regulate online gaming and interactive media, balancing youth protection with the growing popularity of global virtual platforms.