PLDT and Smart to Ban Roblox Upon Order

Telecommunications providers PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. have confirmed their preparedness to block access to the online gaming platform Roblox once the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issues a formal regulatory order.

The commitment was made following a coordination meeting convened by the NTC, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The agencies are addressing escalating complaints from parents, educators, and religious organizations regarding severe child safety risks on the platform, including exposure to pedophiles, drug traffickers, and violent extremism. Globe Telecom previously announced its readiness to implement a similar blockade last week.

Telco and Regulatory Statements

“Protecting children online is a responsibility we share with government and families,” stated Joan de Venecia-Fabul, PLDT chief legal counsel and head of regulatory and strategic affairs. “We recognize that children are among our most important stakeholders, and we fully support efforts to create a safer digital environment for them”.

NTC Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez acknowledged the cooperation of local internet service providers. “The NTC continues to work closely with industry partners as we assess appropriate actions, including potential access restrictions, to address emerging risks on digital platforms,” Lopez said.

If the NTC directive is issued, PLDT and Smart will execute the restriction using their established Child Protection Platform, which is capable of content-level blocking of flagged uniform resource locators (URLs).

The Modus and Regulatory Concerns

Regulators noted a pattern where malicious actors initiate contact through in-game chats and offer virtual incentives. To bypass Roblox’s built-in “Report Abuse” and chat filtering features, predators actively isolate and migrate minors to third-party messaging platforms with weaker moderation to continue grooming activities.

The Approaching Deadline

The DICT and CICC have maintained that a nationwide ban remains a last resort but emphasized the need for Roblox to significantly ramp up its child safety features.

The government previously issued a 15-day ultimatum for the platform’s operators to respond and remediate the identified security failures. The deadline for compliance has been officially extended to April 10, at which point the final regulatory decision regarding the nationwide restriction will be determined.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

This article is published on BitPinas: PLDT and Smart to Ban Roblox Upon Order

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