The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center secured commitments from Roblox and Meta to strengthen online safety measures in the Philippines as authorities push for stronger safeguards against digital threats and the rising spread of violent content linked to the recent school shootings.
The commitments were reached during the Philippine delegation’s engagement with technology companies in Singapore, led by DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and CICC Executive Director Renato “Aboy” Paraiso. Discussions focused on improving cooperation with platforms over concerns involving online grooming, extremist infiltration, deepfakes, cybercrime requests, and harmful content.
Roblox agreed to enhance safeguards on its platform, particularly measures aimed at protecting minors from risks such as grooming and possible extremist activity. The company also committed to closer coordination with Philippine authorities to improve safety measures and create a more secure gaming environment for children.
“We are pleased with the direction of our discussions with Roblox and the willingness they have shown to work with the Philippine government. This is an important beginning, and we want to build on it to create a safer gaming environment for our children,” Paraiso said.
Meta, meanwhile, committed to faster coordination with Philippine authorities on concerns involving deepfakes, cybercrime-related requests, and other forms of online harm across its platforms. The move is expected to help improve government response to reports involving digitally manipulated content, scams, and other cyber-related threats.
“We are encouraged about this high level of cooperation we are seeing. Our expectation is that these developments will translate into faster coordination, more effective investigations, and more importantly, better protection for Filipinos, especially children and other vulnerable Internet users,” Paraiso said.
The government’s concerns intensified following the recent shootings in Zamboanga and Tacloban, with officials saying online influence may have played a significant role and warning of potential copycat crimes.
