Meta and the gaming platform Roblox have pledged to enhance child safety protections for users in the Philippines, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda announced on Thursday. The agreed measures encompass age verification, parental controls, expedited removal of harmful content, and closer collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
These commitments were reached during discussions between Philippine officials and executives from Meta and Roblox held in Singapore. Notably, Roblox plans to open a Philippine office as early as October, while Meta intends to deploy a team to Manila to explore expanding its local presence.
In a significant development, this agreement followed Meta’s recent settlement in the United States, where the company consented to pay up to $18 billion over the next ten years. The settlement also requires Meta to introduce new safeguards for teenage users, such as usage limits, parental controls, and enhanced age verification, addressing claims from US states that its platforms had caused harm to children.
Secretary Aguda highlighted that the US settlement positively influenced the negotiations with Meta regarding child safety and platform accountability. Both companies agreed to the requested safety protocols, including establishing offices in the Philippines, implementing age verification systems, cooperating with law enforcement, and accelerating the removal of harmful content.
The discussions coincide with ongoing legislative efforts in the Philippines aimed at strengthening protections for minors online. Lawmakers are considering proposals that could restrict or even ban children’s access to social media platforms. These initiatives gained momentum following a fatal university shooting in the southern Philippines last week, which was livestreamed by the perpetrator, as well as a separate incident of school violence in June.
Philippine officials have increasingly connected concerns about youth safety and online harms to the broader debate over regulating minors’ access to digital services. Secretary Aguda noted that Meta and Roblox have also committed to engaging with legislators as Congress deliberates on online safety measures. When asked about the possibility of a social media ban for minors, Aguda stated that both companies have expressed willingness to comply with whatever policies Philippine lawmakers ultimately enact.
