Roblox blocked in Egypt: What this means for children and parents

Dubai: Egypt has pulled the plug on Roblox. The popular gaming platform is now blocked across the country as authorities crack down on children's online access.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation announced the ban this week. Egypt joins several other countries, including Qatar and Turkey, that have restricted or blocked the game entirely.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation’s move would make Egypt one of several countries, including some in the Arab world, to block or restrict the game. According to the state-run Middle East News Agency on Wednesday, the ban will be implemented in coordination with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Egyptian officials didn't initially provide detailed reasons for the ban. However, state outlet Ahram Online reported earlier this week that an Egyptian senator called for regulation of Roblox to "protect children's moral and educational values" and "limit associated psychological and behavioural risks."

The ban will be coordinated with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to ensure complete blocking of the platform.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called last month for curbs on mobile phone use by children. He positioned the move as aligning with global efforts to protect young people online.

Egypt isn't alone in this approach. Australia has banned social media for certain age groups. France is moving toward similar legislation. The trend suggests growing international concern about children's digital exposure.

Roblox Corporation responded quickly to the ban, as quoted by AFP. A company spokesperson said they've reached out to Egyptian authorities "with the offer of dialogue to try and resolve this matter and promptly restore access."

The company emphasized its willingness to work with regulators. "We have worked closely with other regulatory authorities to build localised capabilities aligned to their cultural values and based on our shared commitment to safety," the spokesperson added.

Roblox stressed that user safety remains "a top priority." The platform uses both human review and artificial intelligence tools to moderate content and remove exploitative material.

Around 100 million people use Roblox daily worldwide. Under-13s account for roughly 40 percent of its 2024 users, according to company figures.

That means approximately 40 million children globally access the platform daily. It's massive reach among young users is precisely what concerns regulators.

Last year, Roblox restricted certain features across the Middle East to address online safety concerns. The company clearly anticipated regional sensitivities but apparently didn't go far enough to satisfy Egyptian authorities.

Egypt isn't the first to ban Roblox. Qatar and Turkey have also blocked the platform. Due to concerns about age-appropriate content and child safety.

Egypt's parliament is now actively addressing broader issues around children's digital access. The Senate approved requests on Sunday to discuss the dangers of social media and phone use by children.

Whether Egypt will reverse the ban depends on negotiations between Roblox and Egyptian authorities.

Areeba Hashmi is a trainee in Gulf News.