Roblox agrees on child-safety measures with PH gov’t

MANILA, Philippines — Roblox has agreed on integrating stricter safeguards and child protection on its user verification in a bid to prevent the presence of online groomers, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said on Friday.

At a meeting with Philippine officials and Roblox’s executives in Singapore, Roblox committed to incorporating the Philippine National Identification Systems into its user verification process, CICC said.

Meanwhile, stricter safeguards on its messaging features for children will also be developed, which will ensure minors can only communicate within their age group.

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READ: Hontiveros: Meta agrees to share user data with PH gov’t over threats

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“We are pleased with the direction of our discussions with Roblox and the willingness they have shown to work with the Philippine government. This is an important beginning, and we want to build on it to create a safer gaming environment for our children,” CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato Paraiso said.

According to the CICC, Roblox has also implemented an Artificial Intelligence age verification. Users who fail to undergo an age check will have their chat function disabled and will also be restricted to the platform’s kids’ catalog.

It added that Roblox is set to establish an office space in the country by October for a more coordinated response regarding online safety concerns and other matters on its regulations.

A liaison officer will also be designated to directly coordinate with the authorities, including with the National Bureau of Investigation.

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“Regulations work best when we understand how these platforms actually operate. We want to hear from the developers, learn what they are seeing on the ground, and use those insights to build safety measures that have teeth, practical, and responsive to new risks,” he expressed.

Meanwhile, Meta has also expressed its support in coordinating with the Philippine government in integrating child protection features and formulating a framework for heightened security measures against online risks.

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“The commitments made today are a starting point. The responsibility now is to turn them into action and to ensure that online threats are addressed before they become real-world harm,” Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda, who was also present at the meeting, said.

READ: Remulla: Video games led Tacloban, Zamboanga shooters to ‘rabbit hole’

The efforts came amid urgent calls for online safeguards for children following the Zamboanga school shooting last Aug. 18.

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The Department of Interior and Local Government alleged that the junior high school perpetrator may have been influenced by the game platform after he was found using Roblox. /cb