ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday banned popular online game Roblox for the “general interest” of its population, days after Baghdad adopted the same measure.

In a document seen by The New Region, the KRG’s communications ministry issued a ministerial order, where it announced adding Roblox to “the list of those programs, sites… and applications that were previously filtered [banned],” for “the benefit of the general interest of society in the Kurdistan Region.”

The ministry directed all internet service providers in the Region to “comply with banning the game Roblox within the family internet package.”

The Iraqi government’s communications ministry had announced banning Roblox on October 21, citing concerns over child safety and potential exploitation of minors, claiming that the game is incompatible with Iraq’s “social values and traditions.”

Similarly, Ankara placed a ban on the game in August 2024, to “ensure the protection of our children,” according to Yilmaz Tunc, Turkey’s justice minister.

Widely popular among children and teenagers, Roblox is one of the world’s most-played online videogame platforms with over 151 million daily users, allowing the users to play interactive 3D games.

The game has been banned in several countries such as Kuwait, Jordan, and Oman raising similar concerns regarding user safety and claims of exposing children to explicit content.

Iraq has made similar decisions in the past, such as placing a ban on Fortnite, PUBG, and Blue Whale online games in 2019, arguing that the game has a negative influence on the youth.