Roblox banned in Russia, local media says

Core Points - Roblox has been banned in Russia due to the presence of LGBTQ content, which is considered "extremist activity" under Russian law [1] - The platform has faced broader safety and moderation challenges, including exposure of underage users to child predators [3] - Roblox has implemented age checks and content moderation tools, with plans for mandatory facial verification for chat features starting in January [3] - Advocacy groups have criticized Roblox's guidelines on sensitive content, arguing that they could lead to discrimination and silencing of important voices [3] Summary by Sections Ban in Russia - Roblox has been banned in Russia, with the ban attributed to LGBTQ content on the platform [1] - The platform had approximately 70 million mobile installations in Russia, with 8 million downloads in the current year [6] Safety and Moderation Challenges - Roblox has been under legal scrutiny in the U.S. from attorneys general in Texas and Louisiana due to safety concerns [3] - The company has introduced age checks and content moderation tools to enhance user safety [3] Content Guidelines and Advocacy Response - Roblox has requested developers to flag experiences related to sensitive social, political, or religious issues for parental review [3] - Advocacy groups have expressed concerns that Roblox's guidelines may undermine fundamental human dignity and silence important discussions [3]