The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is considering a nationwide ban on the online gaming platform Roblox due to reports of illegal activities, including the exploitation of minors and drug-related activities, allegedly taking place within the app.
In a statement, the CICC gave Roblox one month to address the presence of “threat actors,” such as pedophiles and drug traffickers, who are reportedly using the platform as a “hunting ground” for underage users.
Officials from both the CICC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) warned that a total nationwide block would be enforced if Roblox fails to coordinate with the government within 30 days.
The proposed measures include instructing internet service providers and telecommunications companies to block access to Roblox servers and having the app removed from the Play Store and App Store.
“We will wait until the end of the month. If they truly fail to respond in the interim, we will begin coordinating with telecommunications companies and app stores. This is to ensure that once the ban is implemented, the vast majority—if not all—of the youth in our country will no longer be able to access Roblox,” said CICC Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso.
He added, “Secretary Henry Aguda of the DICT and I have planned that should Roblox fail to respond to us, we will coordinate with Telecos to implement a ban. Our enforcement will be more extensive; we will also engage Google, the Play Store, and the Apple Store to apply geo-fencing on this game. This will ensure that the application itself can no longer be used within the country.”
The CICC noted that similar restrictions on Roblox have previously been imposed in countries such as Qatar, Iran, Turkey, and the United States due to comparable concerns.
The agency also urged parents and guardians to monitor their children for potential “red flags” while using the platform.
The announcement comes days after the CICC reinstated access to the social media platform Tumblr, following a surge in reports that prompted the government to restore access. The platform had previously been blocked pending investigation.
