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The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) have formally put the popular online gaming platform Roblox on notice, warning of a potential restriction or complete suspension of its services in the Philippines.
The stern warning follows mounting reports that bad actors are utilizing the platform for the sexual predation, grooming, and exploitation of Filipino minors.
Presidential Directive on Child Safety
According to government agencies, the crackdown is in direct response to a mandate from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize protecting youth in the digital space.
The DICT and CICC emphasized that the online environment must remain a safe space where children can play without risk, stating that “no platform is above the law when it comes to child safety.”
Conditions for the Platform
With Roblox now formally on notice, the Philippine authorities have outlined strict demands that the platform must meet to avoid regulatory consequences:
- Implement Stricter Safety Systems: The platform is required to immediately upgrade and enforce more rigorous child safety protocols to prevent grooming and predation.
- Full Agency Cooperation: Roblox must establish full coordination with Philippine law enforcement and cybercrime authorities to track and mitigate these illicit activities.
- Face Consequences: The agencies made it clear that if Roblox fails to take decisive action to protect Filipino children, the government will not hesitate to restrict or suspend the application nationwide.
Tumblr and Telegram
This latest ultimatum against Roblox establishes a clear pattern of regulatory advisory by the DICT and CICC against major international platforms operating in the country.
Just weeks prior, the agencies threatened a nationwide ban on the messaging app Telegram over its use in facilitating online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), illegal gambling, and scams. The ban was narrowly averted after Telegram’s leadership engaged in a direct dialogue with Philippine authorities. The platform ultimately agreed to establish a 24/7 helpdesk response system, provide regular takedown reports to the government, and enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy against illicit activities.
Similarly, the microblogging platform Tumblr faced a sudden government crackdown in mid-March. Access to the site was temporarily blocked for several users, redirecting them to a government portal, over concerns regarding unlicensed offshore activities and illegal gambling. The block was only lifted after the platform publicly acknowledged the issue and coordinated with the authorities to resolve the regulatory flags and restore access.
The agencies made it clear that if Roblox fails to take decisive action to protect Filipino children and emulate the compliance seen from other tech companies, the government will execute a nationwide block, noting that “children should not be the ones paying the price.”
AI has been used to assist in developing this article.
This article is published on BitPinas: DICT, CICC Issue Ultimatum to Roblox Over Child Exploitation Reports; Threaten Potential Ban
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