MANILA, Philippines – Ikinasa ni Senador Risa Hontiveros ang isang resolusyon na naglalayong imbestigahan ang Roblox at iba pang online gaming platform laban sa posibleng banta sa kabataan, kabilang ang pagkakalantad sa online sexual abuse, grooming, at iba pang digital threats.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Hontiveros na inaatasan ng Senate Resolution No. 357 ang Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon sa online gaming platforms at epekto nito sa kaligtasan ng kabataan.
Aniya, layunin ng resolusyon na irekomenda ang paglikha ng mandatory age verification protocols at mas mahigpit na pamantayan sa kaligtasan sa batas upang maiwasan ang online sexual abuse at pagsasamantala sa kabataan (OSAEC), grooming, at iba pang lumilitaw na 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,” ani Hontiveros sa resolution.
Inihalimbawa ni Hontiveros ang nangyari sa Calabarzon Region kung saan ilang menor de edad ang nagplano ng pag-atake sa paaralan matapos silang maglaro ng violent content at naimpluwensiyahan sa pamamagitan ng online gaming chat environments, na nagpapatingkad sa maling paggamit ng naturang platforms.
Binanggit din ng senadora na mayroong real-time na komunikasyon sa mga gumagamit ng Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Call of Duty, at Free Fire, kabilang ang minors, nang walang mapagkakatiwalaang mekanismo na mabeberipika ang edad o pagkakakilanlan ng gumagamit o naglalaro.
“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,” ani Hontiveros.
Ayon pa kay Hontiveros: “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.”
“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,” aniya.
Sinabi pa ni Hontiveros na “stronger safeguards are necessary as digital platforms continue to expand,” at iginiit na dapat magpatupad ang mga operator ng duty of care upang protektahan ang mga bata at maglatag ng safety measures na naaayon sa mga panganib.
“The resolution called for balancing child protection with digital innovation and user privacy rather than outright prohibition of online services,” giit ng senador. (Ernie Reyes)
