Meta and Roblox Strengthen Child Safety Rules in Philippines

The Philippine government reached an agreement with Meta Platforms Incorporated and Roblox Corporation to enhance protections for children and teenagers on their platforms. Following meetings in Singapore, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda announced that both companies will implement age verification, parental controls, and accelerated removal of harmful content, while increasing cooperation with law enforcement.

Roblox Corporation plans to open a local office in the Philippines as early as October, and Meta Platforms Incorporated will send a team to Manila to discuss expanding its local operations. These commitments follow a separate $18 billion settlement Meta reached with U.S. states regarding child safety.

The agreement comes as Philippine lawmakers consider legislation that could restrict or ban minors' access to social media. This legislative push was spurred by recent violent incidents, including a fatal shooting at a university in the southern Philippines that was broadcast via livestream. Both companies have stated they will comply with any policies adopted by the Philippine Congress.