Iraq Joins Growing List of Nations Banning Roblox

• Iraq bans Roblox saying that the gaming platform has “several security, social, and behavioural risks." 
• The Florida Attorney General has also issued a criminal subpoena, identifying Roblox as a “breeding ground for predators.”
• Roblox defends itself for having improved tools to filter out hazards, to establish a parental council for safety oversight of the children.

Iraq announced a nationwide ban on Roblox over the weekend, the latest in a series of government actions targeting the popular gaming platform over child safety concerns.

The Iraqi communications ministry said Sunday that a "field monitoring" study found the game posed "several security, social, and behavioural risks." The government expressed particular concern about direct communication features that could make children vulnerable to exploitation and cyber-extortion, as well as content deemed "incompatible with social values and traditions."

The move follows similar restrictions in Turkey, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, where regulators have cited concerns about minor safety. Last month, Kuwait's telecom regulator briefly suspended access to Roblox after receiving complaints about potentially harmful content.

The Iraq ban coincided with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issuing criminal subpoenas to Roblox on Sunday. In a video statement, the Republican official called the platform a "breeding ground for predators" and said the company has "profited off of our kids while exposing them to the most dangerous of harms."

The subpoenas will enable prosecutors to gather information about criminal activity on the platform and evidence related to predators and victims, Mr. Uthmeier said.

How Roblox Is Responding to Safety Concerns

In response, Roblox said it is enhancing safety measures, including limiting image sharing, screening personal data and implementing age verification for chat users. "While no system is perfect, our trained teams and automated tools continuously monitor communications to detect and remove harmful content," a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The San Mateo, Calif.-based company has rolled out new safety tools this year, including "Trusted Connections" for users 13 and older and an open-source AI system called Sentinel that monitors conversations. The company said Sentinel has helped identify 1,200 potential child abuse instances in 2025.

Roblox also plans to establish a Parent and Caregiver Council to oversee safety initiatives. Applications for council membership are open through Oct. 26.

The scrutiny comes as Roblox has achieved significant scale. The platform reported 111.8 million average daily active users in its most recent fiscal year. Between March 2024 and March 2025, developers earned more than $1 billion through the company's Developer Exchange program, representing annual growth exceeding 31%.

The company has said it believes 10% of global game content revenue could eventually flow through its ecosystem.

However, that growth has attracted increasing regulatory attention. A short-seller report from Hindenburg Research published in October 2024 highlighted recurring child-safety issues at the company. Roblox has been listed on the National Centre on Sexual Exploitation's "Dirty Dozen" in 2023 and 2024.

In early October, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman filed a lawsuit calling Roblox a "playground for predators." Louisiana's attorney general filed a similar suit.

Roblox previously said the company "respects the laws and regulations in countries where we operate and share local lawmakers' commitment to children." The company declined to comment specifically on the Iraq ban.