Egypt blocks Roblox in child-safety push, as families warned against risky VPN workarounds

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published February 6, 2026

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Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR), coordinating with the National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA), has ordered the online gaming platform Roblox blocked nationwide, with implementation reported on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, citing concerns linked to children’s online safety.

While the official move is framed as a child-protection measure, the decision has triggered a second, less visible challenge for parents in Egypt and across Arab communities abroad: a surge of attempts by children and teens to regain access using VPN apps. Cybersecurity specialists warn that many “free” VPN tools—often installed impulsively—can expose a household to elevated privacy and security risks, from data tracking to malware and account compromise.

Why this matters for families in the Arab world and the diaspora

For many children, Roblox is not just a game but a daily social space. When access is suddenly restricted, some minors try to “fix it” quickly—typically by downloading whatever VPN appears first in search results. Parents and guardians say the urgent priority becomes protecting kids not only from potentially harmful in-game interactions, but also from the wider risks created when unknown apps gain deep access to a child’s device and home network.

The core risks parents should understand

Security professionals commonly flag several high-risk patterns when minors use unvetted VPN services, including:

Malware and spyware hidden in free VPN downloads.
Account takeover risks when logins pass through unknown servers, potentially exposing game accounts and in-app purchases.
Reduced effectiveness of parental controls when traffic is encrypted and rerouted.
Greater exposure to unmoderated spaces or off-platform contact attempts, depending on where traffic is routed.