PLDT, Smart Ready to Hit ‘Stop’ on Roblox in Push to Protect Kids Online

PLDT Inc. (PLDT), the country’s leading integrated telco network, and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), on Wednesday said they will support government efforts to limit access to Roblox as part of a broader push to strengthen online child protection.

The commitment comes after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), with the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), convened industry players to address safety concerns over the popular social gaming platform.

The government has placed Roblox under strict monitoring after receiving complaints from parents, educators, religious organizations, and the public on the alleged dangers children are being exposed to, including potential ‘violent extremism’.

“We appreciate the readiness of internet service providers to support government measures that aim to keep children safe online,” said Atty. Ella Blanca T. López, NTC Commissioner. “The NTC continues to work closely with industry partners as we assess appropriate actions, including potential access restrictions, to address emerging risks on digital platforms.”

“Protecting children online is a responsibility we share with government and families,” said Atty. Joan de Venecia-Fabul, PLDT Chief Legal Counsel and Head of Regulatory and Strategic Affairs. “We recognize that children are among our most important stakeholders, and we fully support efforts to create a safer digital environment for them.”

How risks emerge on the platform

Roblox, which allows users to create and interact in virtual worlds, has come under scrutiny over how bad actors are able to exploit its open, user-generated environment.

Authorities say these risks typically unfold in stages:

Initial contact through games and chat features: Predators can enter child-focused games and initiate conversations using built-in chat or voice tools, often posing as fellow players.

Migration to private channels: Interactions may move to more private spaces—either within the platform or to external apps—where moderation is weaker.

Grooming and manipulation: Over time, bad actors build trust, sometimes offering in-game currency or items to influence minors.

Exposure to harmful content or activities: This can include sexually explicit material, simulated gambling or wagering systems, or invitations to participate in illicit activities outside the platform.

Lawmakers and regulators have flagged concerns that weak age verification and moderation gaps make it difficult to consistently detect and stop these behaviors at scale.

The CICC had earlier given Roblox 15 days to respond to concerns over alleged illegal activities involving pedophiles and drug traffickers targeting underaged users. As of the latest updates, no response has been received, with the deadline extended to April 10, 2026.

Championing child safety

PLDT and Smart said they will implement any directive once the NTC issues a formal order to all internet service providers to block access to Roblox, consistent with their long-standing collaboration with authorities in restricting access to harmful online content.

The group’s pioneering Child Protection Platform enables content-level blocking of flagged URLs (uniform resource locator), including specific digital materials identified by regulators. The system is designed to go beyond basic website blocking by targeting harmful content at a more granular level, particularly online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

The telco also works with international child protection organizations such as the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection through its Project Arachnid initiative. Hashes or digital fingerprints of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM) from these groups are immediately integrated into the company’s blocking system.

In the first two months of 2026 alone, PLDT and Smart blocked 176,000 attempts to access content linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC). Since going live in June 2021, the platform has blacklisted more than two million web addresses linked to child abuse.

As regulators continue their review, PLDT and Smart said they remain ready to work with government partners to ensure that digital platforms operating in the country meet appropriate safety standards—particularly when it comes to protecting children.

These initiatives reflect the PLDT Group’s continued commitment to safer digital spaces and support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16, which calls for ending violence against children and strengthening institutions that protect them.