DICT won’t ban Roblox after safety commitments

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it will not ban access to Roblox in the Philippines after the platform committed to strengthen its safety measures.

“Roblox laid out and explained stricter safeguards on its platform, including tighter monitoring, reporting mechanisms, and age-appropriate content controls,” DICT said in a statement on Tuesday.

The DICT, together with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), said it will focus on strengthening security across digital platforms instead of imposing a ban or restricting access to Roblox.

Roblox has committed to conducting an information campaign to guide users on online safety and proper use of the platform, the DICT said. It added that parental control features include screen time monitoring, blocking inappropriate content, and selecting age-appropriate content.

Roblox is an online gaming platform that allows users to interact within a virtual environment and engage with other players.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), along with the DICT and the CICC, had earlier convened over safety concerns following complaints that Roblox’s open, user-generated setup had been exploited, exposing children to potential risks, including violent extremism.

“Digital Pinoys welcomes the reforms agreed upon by Roblox, the DICT, and the CICC as a necessary step toward strengthening child safety and accountability on the platform,” Ronald B. Gustilo, a national campaigner for the Digital Pinoys group, said in a Viber message on Tuesday.

He said measures such as stricter age verification, content moderation, and stronger law enforcement coordination could help build a more robust framework to protect users, particularly minors, from online risks. — Ashley Erika O. Jose