The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified efforts to combat cybercrime linked to online gaming platforms, including children’s videogame Roblox, amid concerns over child exploitation and gambling-like features.
The move follows warnings from prosecutors that elements of the platform could expose minors to harm, with authorities highlighting risks “including sexual predation, grooming and exploitation of minors.” Gambling-like mechanics have also been cited as a major source of concern.
PNP Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr has directed the force’s Anti-Cybercrime Group to escalate enforcement against unlawful activities facilitated through gaming applications.
“Our mandate of serving and protecting the people now encompasses cyberspace to keep them safe, especially for children. This is what modern policing also means, and your PNP has been keeping up,” Nartatez said in a statement.
The police are coordinating investigations with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, adding that enforcement is not limited to a single platform and extends to other gaming and social media applications.
Roblox, which reports more than 111 million daily users globally, has come under scrutiny due to its large youth audience, with roughly 40% of users under the age of 13. Its systems of randomised rewards and purchasable virtual items have drawn criticism from regulators and academics.
Research has shown that children often struggle to understand in-game currencies and reward mechanics, while some parents have described such features as “child gambling”, “scams”, and “cash grabs”.
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