Mohammad Sio
01 February 2026•Update: 02 February 2026
ISTANBUL
Egyptian authorities have officially blocked the online gaming platform Roblox, citing concerns over content that officials say promotes harmful behavior among children, according to Egyptian media reports.
Essam al-Amir, deputy head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, said a decision had been issued to block the popular electronic game, widely known among young users as Roblox. He made the remarks during a session of the Senate held to discuss the risks associated with children’s use of mobile phones and digital applications, according to the Youm7 newspaper.
The council had recommended taking action to block websites that promote “deviant behavior or facilitate its spread,” as well as platforms that broadcast electronic games encouraging violence, al-Amir said.
He added that the council is coordinating with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to implement the technical measures required to enforce the ban.
The move by Egypt follows similar actions in the region. In Sept. and Aug. 2025, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman imposed restrictions on Roblox after warnings about potential risks to children.
Internationally, Roblox has faced mounting scrutiny. In Aug. 2025, the US state of Louisiana filed a lawsuit against Roblox, accusing the company of facilitating child exploitation. Roblox rejected the allegations as “false,” according to the BBC.
Roblox is a free, interactive gaming platform created nearly two decades ago that has become highly popular among children and teenagers worldwide.
Its central feature is enabling users to “design their own virtual worlds” with simple programming tools, embark on adventures, play collectively with others, and interact in real-time across borders.
The game has drawn around 85 million users, 40% of whom are under 13, according to a May 2025 report by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
In 2023 alone, over 13,000 cases of child exploitation were recorded on the platform in the US, with 1,200 official reports submitted to Roblox about abuse cases.
US financial news outlet Bloomberg reported in 2024 that US police had arrested at least 24 individuals since 2018 on charges related to kidnapping or mistreating people they met or lured through Roblox.
The company also said in August that its average daily active users reached 111.8 million, who send 6.1 billion chat messages and upload their creations to the service.
The global video games market continues to expand rapidly, with more than 3.4 billion players or app users and an estimated value approaching $200 billion, according to unofficial 2024 statistics.
