Roblox ban in Russia: growing criticism and first street protests
There is virtually no room left for public criticism of state actions in Russia. Nevertheless, criticism of the Roblox blockade is growing louder.
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Following the blocking of the game platform Roblox in Russia, children and teenagers have begun to criticize the decision directly to the Kremlin. There were even initial protests in the country over the weekend. This is reported by the Moscow Times and Reuters. According to reports, the state leadership in Moscow has already admitted that “many” letters on the topic were received before Vladimir Putin's annual year-end press conference. An activist for internet censorship is said to have received over 60,000 complaints. Half of the children and teenagers reportedly said they want to leave Russia because of this. On Sunday, the protest was even taken to the streets in the Siberian city of Tomsk – albeit by only a few dozen people.
“You are only capable of blocking and banning.”
Public criticism of this nature is unusual in Russia. At the latest since the beginning of the extensive war of aggression against Ukraine, there has not only been extensive censorship on the internet, but demonstrations have also been dealt with even more decisively than before. Reuters therefore calls the small protest in snowy Tomsk “a rare display of public dissent, suggesting that dissatisfaction over the ban is gaining momentum.” The news agency received information about the protest from the organizers themselves. Signs reportedly read “Hands off Roblox,” “Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain,” and “You are only capable of blocking and banning.”
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The Roblox ban was ordered by Russia's telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor at the beginning of the month. It was justified by harmful content to which the predominantly young users were exposed. According to the Moscow Times, the authority spoke of “sexual harassment” of children. Children were also allegedly lured on the platform to create and share intimate photos of themselves and were also forced into “perverse acts and violence.” At the same time, Roblox is one of the most popular platforms among children and teenagers, which explains the ongoing criticism of the ban.
(mho)
