Türkiye’s ban on Roblox and Discord may end soon, minister suggests
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco, accessed on February 19, 2025. (Photo via X / @a_uraloglu)
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu indicated Saturday that popular online platforms Roblox and Discord may soon return to the country if they comply with government demands to remove certain content.
Speaking on CNN Turk’s Weekend program, Uraloglu addressed the future of both platforms, which have been banned in Türkiye since last year.
Minister’s latest statement on Roblox, Discord access in Türkiye
“There are access restrictions for Roblox and Discord that are part of a legal process,” Uraloglu said. “Both platforms are in contact with us, and they’re working on removing certain content. When they complete these actions, we can discuss reopening them.”
The minister emphasized that dialogue is ongoing with both companies regarding content removal.
“We’ve spoken with internet providers, unless otherwise requested. We want safe internet packages to be sold. More than 90% of internet packages sold are secure internet packages,” Uraloglu said.
“We’re discussing whether this approach could be applied to social media platforms as well. For those who don’t make a preference upfront, we’re selling the secure internet package.”
Origins, concerns that lead to Türkiye’s Discord ban
Discord, a popular messaging application widely used by gamers, was blocked in Türkiye on October 9, 2024. The ban followed a horrific murder in Istanbul’s Fatih district that brought attention to online “incel” (involuntary celibate) communities.
Türkiye’s Discord restriction came after authorities discovered illegal activities in some private groups. Security forces took action after discovering that networks were obtaining personal data of young women for blackmail purposes.
How child safety issues lead to Türkiye’s Roblox ban
Roblox, an online gaming platform particularly popular among children, faced its ban following an investigation by the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Cybercrime Bureau.
The legal process resulted in the Adana 6th Criminal Court of Peace ordering access restrictions.
The court cited provisions in Türkiye’s Internet Law, which allow judges to implement access restrictions to Roblox for reasons including “protection of the right to life, public order, prevention of crime, or protection of general health.”
The court determined that Roblox and its applications in mobile app stores should be blocked after examining the prosecutor’s request and research reports regarding the website addresses.
Potential path access restoration for Discord, Roblox in Türkiye
Minister Uraloglu’s comments on April 12 suggest that both platforms could potentially have their access restored if they meet the government’s requirements regarding content removal.
For now, Turkish users of these platforms await further developments, as the minister indicated that both Roblox and Discord are in communication with authorities and are working toward addressing the concerns that led to their bans.
