It will no longer be banned in the country.
On Tuesday, April 7, a meeting between the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), law enforcement, and private sector was held.
During which, officers from the online platform Roblox discussed matters as it faced the possible banning of its services in the country due to the growing public concern, especially among parents, about online abuse and OSAEC (Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children).
In the engagement, the DICT and CICC clarified that Roblox will not be banned this week, specifically on April 10, because they agreed to safety-by-design measures.
Chat and payments have also been turned off by default, and for children below 9 years old, there is no longer chat access, noted the platform.
In addition, Roblox has laid out and explained stricter safeguards on its platform, including stricter monitoring, reporting mechanisms, and age-appropriate content controls.
Beginning next week, they will also launch the age-based content and age-based parental controls, as well an information campaign for parents on how to use the new features.
Through the Parental Controls setting, parents can monitor and protect their digital experience by monitoring screen time, setting purchase limits, blocking inappropriate experiences, and choosing age-appropriate content
“Digital safety is the responsibility of the platform, the government, and each family. Let’s work together to protect and safeguard Filipino youth in the online space,” noted the DICT in its press statement.
Previously, an investigation by the CICC revealed that prior policy measures on Roblox were insufficient to deter “threat actors.”
“Sophisticated predators—including pedophiles and child exploiters—frequently bypass existing filters by posing as fellow gamers. These perpetrators manipulate underage users into disclosing personal information or, more alarmingly, sending sensitive photos and videos (Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials or CSAEM),” noted the agency.
In his statement before the meeting, last March 29, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda told, “We are not here to hinder or shut down avenues of creativity and innovation such as Roblox. We are here to make sure these platforms remain safe spaces.“
“Now, we are taking immediate actions, setting guardrails, strengthening safeguards, and ensuring that cybercriminals cannot exploit our children.” the official added.
