A Turkish court has rejected an appeal filed by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) against an access ban on the popular online gaming platform Roblox, upholding an earlier decision by the authorities in the southern city of Adana.
The Adana 6th Criminal Judgeship of Peace ruled on Aug. 7, 2024, to block access to certain URLs on Roblox following a request from the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. On Aug. 12, MLSA filed an appeal on behalf of Barış Altıntaş, arguing that the platform offers educational and social benefits for children. However, the court dismissed the appeal, stating that the lawyer filing the objection was “not a party to the case” and therefore had “no right to appeal.” Although the ruling was issued weeks earlier, it was only recently served.
In its appeal petition, MLSA emphasized that Roblox is more than just a game, describing it as a creative platform where children can design their own games, develop coding skills, and socialize. The petition also noted that the ban had directly impacted Altıntaş’s child, who used the platform as both a player and a developer and was enrolled in a course related to Roblox, which had to be halted due to the access restriction—causing significant disruption to both the child's educational and social development.
The appeal further argued that imposing a blanket ban on the entire platform violated the principle of proportionality, suggesting that only specific URLs deemed problematic could have been removed instead. It also claimed that the decision infringed upon several rights protected under Turkish and international law, including the right to parental custody under the Turkish Civil Code, and constitutional guarantees of family life, communication, and freedom of expression.
Despite these arguments, the court rejected the petition on procedural grounds. In a follow-up ruling dated Aug. 21, the judgeship concluded that “there was no reason to issue a decision,” citing the petitioner’s lack of legal standing. However, the decision left open the possibility of further appeal within two weeks to the Adana 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace. MLSA announced that it would challenge the ruling.
Ban in place since last August
The original access ban on Roblox was imposed in August 2024 by the Adana 6th Criminal Judgeship of Peace under Turkish legislation that governs internet publications and aims to prevent crimes.
The law includes broad justifications such as protecting “the right to life, individual safety, national security, and public order.”
The court order cited a request from the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, which claimed that Roblox contained “content that could lead to the exploitation of children.” However, no specific examples or details of the allegedly harmful content were made public.
