Iraq lifts nearly year-old ban on Roblox game

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq has lifted its ban on the online game Roblox, Communications Minister Mustafa Sind announced in a written statement. The minister said the order to end the ban will take effect Saturday morning, covering the summer holiday period. Under the decision, Roblox will be placed under strict monitoring, and children will be blocked from using its chat feature, according to the ministry. The ministry had banned Roblox nationwide on October 19, 2025, citing rulings from the Iraqi Higher Federal Court. Officials cited concerns over risks to children and adolescents, including cyber exploitation, blackmail, sexual content, profanity and insults targeting religious beliefs. The ministry also pointed to the use of fraudulent links for data theft and rising digital addiction among young users as additional grounds for the ban. The ministry said internet services will continue to be monitored for applications and games deemed harmful to public morals or user safety. Several countries have sued the Roblox platform over child-safety failures; the company has reported roughly 82 million daily active users, more than half of them under 18.