Globe blocks 65,000 child porn sites in Q1

MANILA, Philippines — Wireless giant Globe Telecom Inc. blocked more than 65,000 child pornography sites in the first quarter in support of government initiatives to protect children from sexual abuse.

The number of uniform resource links (URLs) promoting child pornography that Globe had blocked rose by 67 percent or 64,914 in the first quarter from 38,795 during the same period last year.

Globe also took down 559 domains hosting materials that show sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio said the Ayala-led telecommunications firm would bolster its efforts to clean up the internet of illegal content.

He said Globe commits to invest additional capital to improve its system and detect and prevent distribution of child porn.

Bonifacio said Globe would also strengthen its partnerships with various organizations in upholding the rights of children.

The firm vows to conduct awareness campaigns to complement its efforts in blocking malicious sites.

“Globe understands that the internet can be a dangerous place, especially for children, and Globe is committed to using its resources to make it safer for all,” Bonifacio said.

In 2022, Globe blocked 399,540 URLs and 1,947 domains found hosting child pornography, up by about 18 times from the 22,371 websites closed in 2021.

Globe launched a campaign in 2017 that seeks to go after malicious sites, in support of initiatives against sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

The firm has invested $2.7 million to develop a system that can remove child pornography, illegal gambling and online piracy on the web.

A study conducted by the Virginia-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children showed that the Philippines is among the leading sources of child pornography worldwide.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had earlier said the country remains a destination for child traffickers.

Telco providers are mandated under Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act to detect and prevent child pornography on the internet.