Senator Risa Hontiveros welcomed online gaming platform Roblox’s willingness to collaborate with local authorities on child safety, while emphasizing the need for internet platforms to set up formal accountability channels within the Philippines.
Speaking on Wednesday during a meeting with Roblox’s Asia Group Advisers Country Representative, Hontiveros urged tech companies to appoint local legal representatives tasked with receiving subpoenas, content removal demands, account data requests, and other court orders. The discussions occurred alongside Senate deliberations on the updated Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) bill, designated as the Sagip Bata Act.
Roblox, an immense online sandbox enabling users to play and build 3D experiences, has faced international scrutiny regarding child grooming, online exploitation and potential exposure to youth radicalization.
Addressing the urgency of tackling digital threats against minors, Hontiveros highlighted the critical timing involved in interventions.
“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,” she said. (When a Filipino child is a potential victim of grooming or online sexual abuse, every hour is critical. Our authorities must immediately know whom to contact.)
During the meeting, Roblox officials noted that they maintain direct protocols with Philippine law enforcement agencies and expressed openness to designating a qualified third-party local representative to satisfy statutory requirements.
Hontiveros clarified that these legislative mandates aim to move beyond informal agreements, establishing clear mechanisms for regulatory compliance and operational liability. She underscored that the primary burden of protecting young users cannot fall exclusively on families, asserting that platforms hosting digital social spaces must actively prevent abuse and grooming.
“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.