By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – Online gaming platform Roblox is open to appointing a representative in the Philippines who can directly receive subpoenas and other lawful government orders, a setup being proposed in the Senate to speed up action in cases involving online child abuse and grooming.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said Thursday Roblox representatives expressed willingness during a meeting to designate a qualified third party as its local representative, as lawmakers work on the strengthened anti-online sexual abuse and exploitation of children measure, now called the SAGIP Bata Act.
Under the proposal, online platforms would be required to maintain a Philippine-based representative authorized to receive subpoenas, takedown and blocking orders, requests for account information, and other lawful directives.
“Kapag may batang Pilipinong posibleng biktima ng grooming o online sexual abuse, bawat oras ay mahalaga. Kailangang alam agad ng ating mga awtoridad kung sino ang lalapitan (When a Filipino child may be a victim of grooming or online sexual abuse, every hour matters. Our authorities must immediately know whom to approach),” Hontiveros said in a news release.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Roblox told Hontiveros that it already has channels for coordinating with Philippine law enforcement agencies.
“We appreciate Roblox’s openness and its existing work with our law-enforcement agencies. Our goal is to build on that cooperation and make it reliable across platforms, and not dependent on informal or individual arrangements,” she said.
The development comes months after Philippine authorities warned Roblox of a possible ban over reports of sexual predation and grooming involving children. The Department of Information and Communications Technology later ruled out a nationwide ban after the platform committed to additional child-safety measures.
Roblox has also agreed to work toward integrating the Philippine Identification System into its age and identity verification mechanisms, while the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center studies privacy safeguards for age-verification systems used by gaming and social media platforms.
Hontiveros earlier initiated a Senate inquiry into Roblox and other online gaming platforms, citing risks from grooming, online sexual abuse and exploitation, and other digital threats to minors.
She maintained that protecting children in digital spaces should not fall solely on parents and young users, saying platforms where minors interact must also carry responsibility for preventing grooming, exploitation and abuse. (PNA)
