Egypt joins growing list of countries banning Roblox
Egyptian regulators have banned Roblox for all users nationwide. The Supreme Council for Media Regulation is coordinating with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to enforce the block, following concerns over child safety raised by Senator Walaa Hermas Radwandid.
Senator Walaa Hermas Radwandid proposed regulation of the Roblox platform specifically to “protect children’s moral and educational values.” He highlighted risks associated with the game’s structure, such as the ability for users to communicate directly with strangers. The senator also pointed to “potential psychological and behavioral effects on young users” stemming from these interactions and the platform’s content.
Roblox issued a statement to Bloomberg asserting that the company has “built rigorous safeguards that go beyond those of many other platforms.” These measures aim to address safety issues within the game environment where players create and share experiences.
This decision places Egypt alongside several other nations that have banned or heavily restricted the U.S.-based gaming platform. Iraq, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates previously implemented such actions. More recently, Türkiye and Russia enacted complete bans on Roblox, with officials citing the “promotion of homosexuality” and “LGBT propaganda” as reasons for the prohibitions.
Roblox maintains a substantial user base and operational footprint in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company’s latest economic impact report details contributions totaling $15 million to the combined gross domestic product of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from 2021 through 2024. These figures reflect spending by developers, creators, and players in those countries.
In response to pressure from multiple U.S. state attorneys general regarding child safety, Roblox recently strengthened its age-verification requirements for specific in-game features. Reports describe the updated verification system as disorganized and problematic in implementation.
The Roblox ban in Egypt aligns with a worldwide pattern of increasing internet restrictions, particularly targeting social media services accessible to minors. Countries such as Australia, Spain, and Denmark have enacted policies to prohibit social media use entirely for children, focusing on age-based limitations.