What is Roblox? Why is it banned in Turkey?

Roblox is an app that allows users to play a wide variety of games, create games, and chat with others online. It combines gaming, social media, and social commerce. Billing itself as the “ultimate virtual universe,” Roblox experiences are places where users can socialize, build their own spaces, and even earn and spend virtual money.

Games on Roblox are officially called “experiences” which fall into a variety of genres. Users can dabble in games tagged as roleplay, adventure, fighting, obby (obstacle courses), tycoon, simulator, and more.

Many of the most popular games on the app, including Adopt Me! And Brookhaven RP, fall into the roleplay category. These are less games and more virtual hangouts. Millennials, think of them like Gen Z’s version of Club Penguin. Other categories focus more on agility, strategy, or skill.

Though the platform itself is free, users can make purchases within each experience. A portion of the sales (about 28 cents per dollar spent) goes back to the game’s creator. That means brands and makers of all ages can earn money if the games they build become popular. It really takes user-generated content to a whole new level.

Need proof? Jailbreak, one of the platform’s most popular games, was built by teenager Alex Balfanz, who paid for his college degree entirely with his Roblox earnings. Serial game developer Alex Hicks earned over $1 million per year creating games for the platform, all before his 25th birthday.

When was Roblox Made?

Roblox officially launched in September of 2006. It may come as a surprise to many that Roblox is older than Snapchat, Discord, and even Instagram! That’s because the platform took much longer to gain steam.

While Roblox co-founders David Baszucki and Erik Cassel officially debuted the platform over 15 years ago, it didn’t start to gain traction until about a decade in. And it really exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when its daily active user count surged by 40 percent.

How many people play Roblox?

The company reports that over 52 million people play Roblox online each day, up by 21% compared to last year.

Who uses Roblox?

Historically, Roblox has mostly appealed to teenagers and preschoolers, with the largest and most relevant demographic being 9 to 12 year old boys.

However, the company recently reported that its users are “aging up.” In a letter to shareholders, Roblox reported that its fastest growing demographic is 17- to 24-year-olds.

Is Roblox safe for kids?

If you’re a parent, you might be wondering whether Roblox is a safe space for your child. As with any social media platform, the app comes with risk of scams and bullying. In fact, critics have called out Roblox for failing to adequately protect kids on the app from harassment and abuse.

Roblox claims to automatically filter out inappropriate content from chat, but parents should exercise caution and teach their kids about online safety before letting them sign up for a Roblox account.

As a parent, you can restrict in-game chat, in-app purchasing, and access to certain games. You may also set a monthly spend allowance and turn on notifications that let you know anytime your child spends money in the app.

To see a list of parental controls, log into your Roblox account and navigate to settings. In the parental controls section, you’ll see an option to add a Parent PIN. When the Parent PIN is enabled, users can’t make changes to settings without entering a PIN.

Why is Roblox Banned in Turkey?

Roblox, an online gaming platform, was banned in Turkey due to the decision of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. It was learned that the platform was closed due to 'child abuse' accusation by Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. More than 15 million users are wondering when the game platform will be reopened.

Online gaming platform Roblox is experiencing access problems. While Turkey has been talking for days about whether the access ban imposed on the social networking platform Instagram will be lifted, another access ban decision was announced on the website of the Information Technologies Authority (BTK).

Roblox, which is widely used especially among children and has more than 15 million users, was blocked.