PLDT Group said Wednesday it backs government efforts to limit access to the online gaming platform Roblox, as part of a national push to protect children online.
The move follows a high-level meeting involving the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to discuss safety risks on the platform. Parents, educators, and other groups have raised alarms over possible exposure to harmful content, including violent extremism.
NTC Commissioner Ella Blanca T. Lopez said the agency appreciates internet service providers’ support in keeping children safe and is working with industry partners to consider measures, including potential access restrictions.
PLDT’s chief legal counsel, Joan de Venecia-Fabul, said protecting children online is a shared responsibility and emphasized the company’s commitment to creating a safer digital environment.
Lawmakers and regulators have cited weak age verification and moderation gaps on Roblox as challenges in stopping harmful behavior online. The CICC previously gave Roblox 15 days to respond to allegations of illegal activity targeting minors, including pedophilia and drug-related content, with the deadline now extended to April 10, 2026.
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart said they will follow any official NTC order to block access. Their Child Protection Platform allows for content-level blocking, targeting harmful materials like online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).
The telco also works with international organizations such as the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation and Canada’s Centre for Child Protection through Project Arachnid. Digital fingerprints of illegal materials are immediately integrated into their blocking system.
In just the first two months of 2026, PLDT and Smart blocked 176,000 attempts to access harmful content, and since June 2021, more than two million web addresses linked to child abuse have been blacklisted.
The company said it remains ready to collaborate with government agencies to ensure online platforms in the Philippines meet child safety standards.
