Senate probe sought on Roblox, online gaming platforms

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

(Unsplash photo)

MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros is seeking a Senate inquiry into Roblox and other online gaming platforms over potential risks to children, including exposure to online sexual abuse, grooming, and other digital threats.

Hontiveros filed on Monday Senate Resolution No. 357 directing the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality to conduct an investigation on online gaming platforms and their impact on child safety.

The resolution aims to recommend the establishment of mandatory age verification protocols and stronger child protection standards to prevent online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), grooming, and other emerging digital threats.

“Investigations by Philippine law enforcement and international partners have documented instances in which offenders use online gaming platforms and chat features to initiate contact with children, build trust, and transition communications to private channels for exploitation,” Hontiveros said in the resolution.

The measure cited recent cases in the Calabarzon Region where minors allegedly planned a school attack after exposure to violent content and influence through online gaming chat environments, highlighting the potential misuse of such platforms.

It also noted that online gaming platforms such as Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Free Fire enable real-time communication among users, including minors, often without reliable mechanisms to verify age or identity.

“Current age verification systems on many platforms rely primarily on self-declaration of age, which is widely recognized as inadequate to protect minors from online predators, impersonation, and harmful content,” Hontiveros said.

The resolution emphasized that the Philippines continues to face evolving threats of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, with digital platforms increasingly used to facilitate grooming, coercion and abuse.

It added that countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands have begun implementing enhanced age assurance technologies, including identity verification and facial age estimation, for services used by minors.

Hontiveros said stronger safeguards are necessary as digital platforms continue to expand, stressing that operators must exercise a duty of care to protect children and implement safety measures proportionate to risks.

The resolution called for balancing child protection with digital innovation and user privacy rather than outright prohibition of online services