Telco firm blocks record 404,000 websites for having malicious content

CYBERCRIME | In this 2017 photo, at least 30 people are arrested by policemen in a suspected cybersex den operating in Quezon City. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. has observed a sharp rise in malicious websites associated with child pornography, illegal gambling, and online piracy, ramping up its initiatives to block such online portals to promote a safer online space with the advent of heightened digitalization.

From January to September this year, the Ayala-led telecommunications company has blocked a record 404,730 websites and links carrying malicious content, or 45 percent more than the 278,555 sites it foiled in the same period last year.

This surpassed the 401,487 websites that Globe blocked for hosting malicious content for the whole of 2022, a level that was already 18 times the 22,371 websites it shut in 2021.

“Our commitment to creating a safe online environment is unwavering. We recognize the critical role we play in combating illegal online activities, especially those that exploit the most children. Our increased efforts and investments in blocking access to illegal content are a testament to our dedication to this cause,” Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio said.

Globe has invested $2.7 million in technology to detect and block said malicious content in line with its campaign against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).

This is in line with Republic Act No. 9775, or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, which mandates all internet service providers such as Globe to install technology, programs, or software to ensure that access to or transmission of child pornography will be blocked or filtered.

The Philippines is among the world’s leading sources of content rooted in OSAEC, according to a study led by the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

It said cases of OSAEC in the Philippines nearly tripled during the pandemic when mobility was heavily curtailed, forcing kids and adults alike to spend more time on their mobile phones and computers for work, studies and personal entertainment.

AI to worsen problem

The heinous act is seen to proliferate further due to artificial intelligence, warned PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc.

“This development not only poses a challenge to the technology side of counteracting OSAEC, but it also tests the limits of our laws in addressing the menace,” PLDT and Smart chief information security officer Angel Redoble said.

The country’s telecommunications providers have been working closely with relevant government agencies such as the departments of information and communications technology and of justice, along with organizations such as the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Globe, for its part, said it had partnered with the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to boost protection of children online. IWF provides a secure and anonymous place to report suspected child sexual abuse images and videos that they find on the internet.

Through Unicef’s SaferKidsPH, Globe noted that it was also pushing for responsible online behavior and promoting the rights and well-being of every child.

Both Globe and Smart are also actively blocking SIM (subscriber identity module) cards found to be linked to fraudulent activities such as text scams, a form of phishing activity whereby hackers send mobile messages embedded with suspicious links, that, in turn, will lead unsuspecting victims to websites tricking them to provide personal information.

With hackers accessing sensitive information, they can illegally take over the victims’ bank and other personal accounts.