ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Ministry of Communications on Sunday announced a nationwide ban on the online game Roblox, citing security, social, and moral concerns following a Supreme Federal Court decision.
“In its commitment to protecting societal security and preserving the moral and educational values of families, children, and maintaining the safety of internet service users in Iraq, the ministry announces the ban of the Roblox game within the country based on decisions by the Supreme Federal Court,” the ministry said in a statement.
Roblox, one of the world’s largest online gaming platforms, allows users to play, create, and socialize in virtual worlds. It has faced international scrutiny and partial bans in several countries, including Turkey, Russia, and Jordan, over reports of hate speech, child exploitation, and exposure to explicit content.
The ministry said the decision came after “extensive study and field monitoring,” which found that the game posed “security, social, and behavioral risks,” including enabling communication that could expose minors to “exploitation or electronic blackmail attempts.”
Communications Minister Hayam al-Yasiri stated in a video message that Roblox “hurts children and families in general because it contains bad content that blackmails and lures children and includes harassment.”
She added that the game “includes a lot of violence, cursing, insults to the divine, immoral issues, and sexual insinuation,” warning that overuse of such games and social media “leads to isolation, weakens social relationships, and reduces energy and health due to lack of movement.”
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