KRG adds Roblox to list of blocked apps in optional family internet packages, citing child safety concerns

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Transport and Communications has directed internet providers to block the online game Roblox within the region’s family internet package, citing concerns over child safety and social values.

The ministry said the decision was made “in the interest of public welfare and to reduce the harm caused by electronic games, especially to children under the age of 18.” The directive, issued under the authority of Minister Ano Jawhar Abdoka, requires all licensed telecommunications and internet companies in the Kurdistan Region to restrict access to the platform.

The ministry’s Media Directorate said providers were formally notified “to censor and restrict access to the Roblox game” as part of the family package’s existing filtering measures aimed at protecting users and promoting safer internet use.

Under the family package policy, introduced in 2022, providers must offer users an option that blocks explicit, violent, or harmful online content, including pornography, gambling, arms trading, and extremist material. The packages are intended to provide affordable, high-speed, and safer access for households with children.

The move follows Iraq’s nationwide blanket ban on Roblox, announced by the federal Ministry of Communications on Oct. 20, citing security risks, threats to social values, and risks to children’s safety. Officials said the ban followed a Federal Supreme Court ruling and an investigation that found the game’s chat features expose users to exploitation and harmful content.

While the federal decision applies nationwide, the KRG implements its own digital policies independently, applying the restriction only within the optional family package available to subscribers in the region.