Russia’s state communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, announced on Wednesday that it may consider restoring access to the online gaming platform Roblox if the U.S.-based company takes appropriate actions to comply with Russian legislation.
Earlier this month, Roskomnadzor had blocked Roblox, citing concerns over child safety and allegations of promoting “extremist” content, including what is labeled as “LGBT propaganda.” At the time of the ban, the platform had around 18 million users in Russia.
The regulator stated that the decision—which sparked both online and offline demonstrations—came after repeated failures from Roblox to meet security-related requests.
On Wednesday, Roskomnadzor revealed that Roblox management had reached out and shown a willingness to address the issues raised.
“We appreciate the platform’s commitment to cooperate and make modifications to its operations in Russia,” Roskomnadzor stated in a news release.
“If this willingness is sincere and not just rhetoric but a real commitment to enhance online child safety, Roskomnadzor will collaborate with Roblox as it would with any other service that abides by Russian law,” the agency noted.
Roblox later confirmed that it has established communication with Roskomnadzor and is prepared to revise its content moderation practices and “temporarily restrict communication features in Russia” in order to re-establish access within the country.
The California-based Roblox Corporation has stated that it employs a mix of human moderators and artificial intelligence tools to oversee content and eliminate material considered exploitative.
Roskomnadzor mentioned that the company had recognized deficiencies in its moderation of in-game content and user interactions.
Globally, Roblox has approximately 100 million daily users, with children under the age of 13 making up about 40% of its user base in 2024, according to the company. It was also the most downloaded mobile game in Russia in 2023.
Last week, the Kremlin indicated that its communications department had been inundated with complaints from children throughout Russia regarding the Roblox ban.
Pro-Kremlin censorship advocate Yekaterina Mizulina claimed she had received tens of thousands of letters from young children and teenagers expressing discontent over the platform’s blockade. Many of these children reportedly mentioned their desire to leave Russia due to the ban.
