Estong Reyes 
SA hangarin protektahan ang mga kabataan, isang resolusyon ang inihain ni Senador Risa Hontiveros na nagtutulak ng “congressional investigation in aid of legislation” sa kinababaliwan online game na tinatawag na Roblox.
Para kay Hontiveros, hindi dapat balewalain ang umano’y perwisyo at banta sa batang nalalantad sa online sexual abuse, grooming at iba pang digital threats.
Sa ilalim ng Senate Resolution 357, target ng Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality imbestigahan ang mga online gaming platforms, gayundin ang epekto sa mga batang nahuhumaling sa laro.
Aniya, layunin ng resolusyon magtakda ng mandatory age verification protocols at mas mahigpit na pamantayan sa kaligtasan ng batas upang maiwasan ang online sexual abuse at pagsasamantala sa kabataan, 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 maglaro ng bayolenteng content, bukod pa sa impluwensya ng online gaming chat environments.
Binanggit din ng senadora na mayroong real-time na komunikasyon sa mga gumagamit ng Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Call of Duty, at Free Fire enable kabilang ang menor, nang walang “legit mechanism” para sa beripikasyon ng pagkakakilanlan at edad ng 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.
“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.
“Stronger safeguards are necessary as digital platforms continue to expand, stressing that operators must exercise a duty of care to protect children and implement safety measures proportionate to risks.”
“The resolution called for balancing child protection with digital innovation and user privacy rather than outright prohibition of online services,” giit ng senador.
