Several dozen people gathered on Sunday, Dec 14, in the Siberian city of Tomsk to protest Russia’s decision to block the US-based children’s gaming platform Roblox. Such public demonstrations are uncommon in Russia, but frustration over the ban appears to be growing. Since the start of the war, Russia has enforced strict censorship, blocking or limiting access to major social media services including Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube, while promoting its own messaging through state-controlled and domestic media platforms. Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor announced that Roblox had been blocked, claiming the platform contained inappropriate material that could harm the moral and spiritual development of children.

In Tomsk, located about 2,900 kilometers east of Moscow, protesters stood in the snow at Vladimir Vysotsky Park holding handmade signs such as “Hands off Roblox” and “Roblox is a victim of the digital Iron Curtain.” Photos shared by an organizer showed around 25 people forming a small circle, each holding a placard, including one that read, “Bans and blocks are all you are capable of.”

The Roblox ban has sparked broader discussion in Russia about censorship, online child safety, and whether digital restrictions are effective when many young users can bypass them within minutes. While many Russians use VPNs to avoid blocks, some have questioned the logic of banning services that are easily accessible through such tools, as well as the lack of strong domestic alternatives. At the same time, some parents and educators have expressed concerns that Roblox allows children to encounter sexual material or communicate with adults.

Roblox, which is based in San Mateo, California, has also been banned in countries such as Iraq and Turkey over fears that predators could misuse the platform to exploit children. The company did not immediately comment on the Russian protest, but has previously said it is strongly committed to user safety and employs strict protective measures. Russian authorities argue that censorship is necessary to counter what they describe as a Western-led information war and to protect traditional Russian values from what they see as corrupting foreign cultural influences.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.