Turkey Roblox Ban Protests

Overview

Turkey Roblox Ban Protests refers to discussions about the Turkish government's decision to ban the online multiplayer game Roblox on August 7th, 2024. Turkish Courts issued the ban after reportedly finding evidence of child exploitation in the game, deeming it to be a danger to children. Online reactions and real-life protests from Turkish Roblox players ensued in the days following the ban, with many posting memes and skits referencing it on social media.

Background

On August 7th, 2024, the Turkish government banned the children's online multiplayer game Roblox, citing instances of child exploitation found on the app. According to a post on X^[1] / Twitter issued by Turkey's Minister of Justice, the ban took effect on August 7th, serving to "take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of our children." The post (seen below) received over 2.7 million views in six days.

Translated from Turkish by Google: Access to the game platform named Roblox and its links in the application markets has been blocked by the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace within the scope of the issues specified in the "Law on Regulation of Publications Made in the Internet Environment and Combating Crimes Committed by Means of Such Publications" within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office due to the content that could lead to the exploitation of children. It should not be forgotten that the Republic of Turkey is a State of Law. According to our Constitution, our State is obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of our children. It is everyone's duty to look out for, protect and support the best interests of our children, the guarantor of our future. Turkey is one of the countries that closely follows developments in the world and uses technology in the best way. However, using technology in a negative way is never acceptable. Everyone who thinks about the future of our country and our nation and is in a position of responsibility should approach such situations targeting our children with sensitivity and stay away from populist and irresponsible rhetoric. Attempts to undermine our social structure, ab-se of children, encouragement of violence, and activities that will negatively affect the development of our children, each of whom is a precious gift, will never be allowed.

Also on August 7th, Roblox issued a statement on its official X account addressing the ban, saying that the company is working with local authorities in order to get the game unbanned as soon as possible (seen below).^[2][3]

Online Reactions

Various internet users from Turkey posted memes and jokes about Turkey's decision to ban the game, including TikToker^[4] @stewiedominic, who posted a video on August 8th, 2024, holding up his younger brother's limp body alongside a text overlay that read, "How I found bro after Roblox was banned from Turkey." The post gathered over 2 million views and 370,000 likes in five days (seen below, left).

Also on August 8th, TikToker^[5] @bberkay38 posted a video showing Turkey's leader Erdogan choosing between different options to curtail the country's economic troubles, and settling on banning Roblox. The post gathered over 1.2 million views and 170,000 likes in five days (seen below, right).

On August 10th, 2024, TikToker^[6] @onliahmet posted a video showing a gaggle of young children marching against the Roblox ban in Turkey. The text overlay on the video translates to "Roblox come back," with the video gathering over 3.5 million views and 400,000 likes in three days (seen below, left).

On August 12th, TikToker^[7] @willyandgaming posted a sketch about Turkey's Roblox ban, gathering over 350,000 plays and 30,000 likes in a day (seen below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References