CAIRO: Egypt's top media regulator blocked access on Feb 4 to the US-owned gaming platform Roblox over child safety concerns, joining several other governments that have moved to restrict the popular app.
Roblox has been banned by countries including Qatar, Iraq and Turkey, and US states such as Texas and Louisiana have filed lawsuits citing similar risks.
Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation announced the ban soon after several senators called for tighter controls on the platform, arguing that it contained inappropriate, violent and otherwise unsuitable content for children.
Senator Walaa Hermes warned that excessive use of Roblox could expose children to "anxiety, bullying, online harassment, incitement to violence and other financial and behavioural risks".
The move follows President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's call last month for new legislation aimed at protecting children from the risks of early smartphone use, though he did not specify an age limit.
In a statement shared with AFP, a Roblox spokesperson said the company had reached out to Egyptian authorities "with the offer of dialogue to try and resolve this matter and promptly restore access", adding that user safety "is a top priority at Roblox".
The platform, developed by California-based Roblox Corporation, allows users to create and share their own games.
Around 100 million people use Roblox daily, with under-13s accounting for around 40 percent of its 2024 users, according to the company.
The Roblox Corporation says it moderates all content through human review and artificial intelligence tools, including to remove "exploitative content". – AFP
