Por Guy Faulconbridge
Several dozen people protested in the Siberian city of Tomsk on Sunday against Russia’s ban on the American children’s gaming platform Roblox. RBLXa rare display of public dissent as popular irritation over the ban gains some momentum.
In Russia at warlink), censorship is widespread: Moscow blocks or restricts social media platforms such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube while distributing its own narrative through a network of Russian social media and media outlets.
On December 3, Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor stated that it had blocked Roblox for being “riddled with inappropriate content that can negatively affect the spiritual and moral development of children.”
In Tomsk, 2,900 km (1,800 miles) east of Moscow, several dozen people braved the snow to hold hand-drawn banners reading “Hands off Roblox” and “Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain” in Vladimir Vysotsky Park, according to photos provided by a protest organizer.
“Bans and blockades are all you can do,” read one banner. Photos showed about 25 people standing in a circle in the snow, holding banners high.
In Russia, the Roblox ban has sparked a debate about censorship, children’s safety in relation to technology, and even the effectiveness of censorship in a digitalized world where children can bypass many bans with a few clicks.
Many Russians simply circumvent the bans by using VPNs (Virtual Private Networks), although some young Russians have questioned the logic of a ban if it can be circumvented so easily, while others have wondered why there are so few Russian alternatives to the apps the state has banned.
Some Russian parents and teachers have expressed concern that Roblox allows children to access sexual content and communicate with adults.
Roblox, based in San Mateo, California, has been banned by several countries, including Iraq and Turkey, due to concerns about predators exploiting the platform to abuse minors.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When the Russian ban was introduced, Roblox said it had “a deep commitment to security” and offered “rigorous built-in protections to help keep users safe.”
Russian authorities say they need censorship to defend themselves against a sophisticated “information war” unleashed by Western powers, and what they call decadent Western culture that undermines “traditional” Russian values.
