Another application is facing scrutiny from local authorities.
In its media release on Friday, March 20, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) officially announced the placement of the popular online gaming platform Roblox under “strict monitoring.”
According to the Philippine agency, it has issued a one-month ultimatum for the company to address serious allegations of illegal activities occurring within the app, noting that the platform, which ie widely used by Filipino children, has become a hunting ground for threat actors—including pedophiles and drug traffickers.
The agency also warned that the platform’s interactive nature is being exploited by perpetrators to deceive underage users, at times even exposing them to propaganda videos intended to influence or coerce them into illegal acts.
CICC Undersecretary Renato ‘Aboy’ Paraiso then clarified that if Roblox fails to coordinate with the Philippine government within the next 30 days, the CICC, in partnership with its parent agency, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), will move for a total nationwide block.
Paraiso told, “We will wait until the end of the month. If they truly fail to respond in the interim, we will begin coordinating with telecommunications companies and app stores.“
He added, “This is to ensure that once the ban is implemented, the vast majority—if not all—of the youth in our country will no longer be able to access Roblox.”
The proposed ban would be more extensive than a simple website block, as it will involve cooperation with telecom and Internet service provision (ISP) companies, who will be instructed to block access to Roblox servers, and de-listing from the app stores sich as the Google Play Store and Apple App Stores by implementing Geo-Fencing to ensure the application cannot be downloaded or operated within Philippine territory.
The agency also warned noted that Roblox had already faced similar bans or restrictions in countries such as Qatar, Iran, and Turkey, as well as specific states in the U.S., due to similar safety concerns.
“Secretary Henry Aguda of the DICT and I have planned that should Roblox fail to respond to us, we will coordinate with Telecos to implement a ban. This time, our enforcement will be more extensive; we will also engage Google, the Play Store, and the Apple Store to apply Geo-Fencing on this game. This will ensure that the application itself can no longer be used within the country,” Paraiso explained.
While the procedure is still underway, the CICC has urged parents and guardians to exercise extreme caution and emphasized that “red flags” in online gaming—such as strangers asking for personal photos, moving conversations to private messaging apps, or offering “free” in-game currency (Robux) in exchange for tasks—must be identified immediately.
The agency has encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity, solicitation, or exposure to illegal content on Roblox by reaching out to the National Cybercrime Hotline at 1326 or sending a message to the official CICC Facebook or social media pages.