Globe Telecom Inc. said it blocked 489,849 child pornography sites last year, a 22 percent jump from 401,487 sites it restricted in 2022.
The number of disabled URLs hosting lewd content went up by 21.8 percent, reaching 486,802 in 2023 from 399,550 in the previous year. The figure for blocked domains also saw a 56.5-percent surge to 3,047 in 2023 from 1,947 in the same period the year before.
“We believe that a safer digital environment for our children requires a multi-pronged approach. Beyond blocking harmful content, we want to foster a culture of vigilance, awareness, and collaboration to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from the pervasive threats that lurk online,” said Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio.
Globe said that in collaboration with the government and other stakeholders, it continued to enhance its capabilities to detect and block access to child pornography and other illegal sites.
Through its #MakeITSafePH campaign launched in 2017, Globe has been actively aligning its efforts with the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9775). This law requires all internet service providers (ISPs) to deploy technologies that prevent access to or transmission of child pornography.
Globe earlier invested $2.7 million in content filtering systems to upgrade its site-blocking capabilities. It works with government agencies and local and international organizations to bolster child protection online.
The Philippines is a leading source of OSAEC (online sexual abuse and exploitation of children content), according to the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This underscores the imperative for a sustained effort to protect children online.