Russia holds "protests" against Roblox ban

Several dozen people protested in the russian city of Tomsk over the closure of the American children's gaming platform Roblox. It was reported by Reuters on Sunday, December 14.

A small rally took place in the Siberian city of Tomsk, which Reuters called "a rare show of public dissent." About twenty people took to the streets with placards and chanted that the people want Roblox.

"In Tomsk, 2,900 km (1,800 miles) east of Moscow, several dozen people braved the snow to hold up hand-drawn placards reading "Hands off Roblox" and "Roblox is the victim of the digital Iron Curtain" in Vladimir Vysotsky Park, according to photographs provided by an organiser of the protest," the report said.

"Bans and blocks are all you are able to do," read one placard.

On December 3, russia's communications watchdog Roskomnadzor announced that it had blocked Roblox because it was "rife with inappropriate content that can negatively impact the spiritual and moral development of children." At the same time, censorship in the russian federation is gaining momentum, with social networks such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube already blocked or restricted, and with their own narratives spreading through social media and russian media.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on December 10, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 years old.