Roblox “strongly contests” Iraqi ban, claims the government’s reasoning is “inaccurate”

Roblox has responded to the decision of Iraq to ban access to Roblox on the grounds of child safety concerns, saying it “strongly contests” the Iraqi government’s claim that its platform is “incompatible with social values and traditions.”

As Reuters reports, the Iraqi government confirmed last week that it was banning the game platform, alongside other countries such as Algeria, China, Qatar, Oman, North Korea, Turkiye, and the UAE.

Roblox said that, in response to the government’s concerns, it disabled in-game chat and other features in Arabic-speaking countries, and that “claims that it is somehow being misused are therefore inaccurate.”

In a statement to press, Roblox said: “Safety is a top priority for Roblox and we work diligently to create a positive and civil environment that respects different cultural values and allows people to create, play and learn.

“We strongly contest recent claims made by the Iraqi authorities, which we believe to be based on an outdated understanding of our platform and are not reflective of our ongoing collaborations with various regional authorities aimed at strengthening protections for users across the Middle East.

“As part of our ongoing safety commitments, earlier this year, we took the proactive step to temporarily suspend certain communication features, such as in-game chat. This applies to all users in Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East region, including Iraq, where this feature is not available. Claims that it is somehow being misused are therefore inaccurate.”