Roblox Blocked in Qatar Amid Online Safety Concerns

On August 13, 2025, Qatar announced that they would be blocking the popular online gaming platform Roblox. Players all over the country found themselves unable to connect to the game and faced “No Network” errors on the app and website. There has been no official information regarding the action from authorities yet.

This decision follows growing concerns raised in a social media campaign in Qatar that emphasized the potential risks posed to children and adolescents. Roblox has received condemnation for numerous instances of exposing young players to dangerous content, inappropriate interactions, and online exploitation through the use platform that they can create games on, interact with each other, and explore different virtual worlds on.

Reports suggest that the decision was made in light of virtual attacks, and violent or obscene content contrary to religious and cultural values. Experts were previously listening that the platforms (Roblox in this case) were not merely games anymore, rather they are open digital environments that can shape the actions and psychological development of children.

Although Roblox is no longer playable in Qatar, the app is still available to download via the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. However, players in Qatar will unable to complete the onboarding or even play or access the game at all. 

Countries like Turkey in the past, Oman, and China have also previously restricted Roblox due to similar issues around child safety and the moderation of content. The Qatari government has not confirmed the legal claim for the ban yet, and there has been no formal response from Roblox.

Additionally, parents and experts continue to stress the importance of monitoring children's online activity, especially considering platforms like Roblox allow interaction in unmoderated virtual environments.