The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday (July 9, 2026) sought a response from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to restrict minors’ access to the online gaming platform Roblox and similar virtual platforms
The petition, filed by Allahabad High Court advocate Rani Singh, seeks a direction to the Centre and other authorities to ban minors from accessing Roblox and similar platforms. It also refers to games such as PUBG, Manhunt, Free Fire MAX, the Grand Theft Auto series, Battlefield and Fortnite
A Division Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla heard the petition
The plea raises concerns over features such as real-time social interaction, user-generated games and avatars, virtual currency transactions, and unrestricted access to chatrooms, contending that they may expose children to online safety risks
It also seeks the constitution of a high-level committee comprisingchild psychologists, cyber experts, AI moderation specialists and law enforcement officials to assess the risks associated with such platforms and recommend immediate safeguards
Further, the petition prayed to conduct mandatory and periodic workshops, seminars, and awareness drives in schools and educational institutions to sensitise children, teachers, and parents regarding the potential psychological, behavioural, and safety risks associated with online gaming platforms, including but not limited to Roblox
It argues that the increasing use of such platforms by minors in India highlights the need for statutory regulation, mandatory child safety measures, parental awareness initiatives, age-appropriate content moderation, and stronger government oversight to safeguard the welfare and mental well-being of children
