Users of the online gaming platform Roblox in the UAE will temporarily be unable to chat in the game. The joint statement was made in a social media post by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) with Roblox that said it will implement new measures to strengthen online safety for children.

This comes weeks after the online game was banned in several countries in the region including Oman and Qatar.

Following discussions between the two parties, Roblox will temporarily disable certain communication features for users in the UAE, including in-platform chat and games with chat functions.

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Another set of changes outlined in the joint statement includes the introduction of enhanced moderation for content and communication in Arabic, along with improvements to the existing suite of safety features and parental controls.

A regular Roblox user in the UAE confirmed to Khaleej Times that he has been unable to access the chat feature. "When I first logged into the game, it said your region/settings make it unable to chat," he said. "When I closed the game and opened it, the chat icon was no longer available."

The TDRA and Roblox urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children's online activity and engage with them about safe gaming practices. They also encouraged users to submit feedback, suggestions, or reports through Roblox's in-app reporting tools or directly to the authority.