PLDT, Smart block 83,000 attempts to access child abuse links

PLDT INC. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. have blocked 83,000 attempts to open child sexual abuse and exploitation materials in January, 50% lower than a year ago due the company’s smart filtering platforms.

“As technology enablers, PLDT and Smart recognize their role in providing a safe digital space that allows children to grow and pursue their passions,” PLDT and Smart First Vice-President and Head of Public Engagement Roby T. Alampay said in a media release on Thursday.

The company is utilizing its blocking tool which has helped to block the accessibility of images depicting child sexual abuse and exploitation of children, PLDT said, describing its filtering system as advance as it can blocked the entire website containing illicit materials instead of just blocking a specific links.

PLDT said that this platform is strengthened through global collaborations like Internet Watch Foundation and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Project Arachnid, providing access to updated intelligence and automated detection tools.

PLDT’s corporate business arm, PLDT Enterprise has also partnered with the Council for the Welfare of Children’s helpline.

Last year, the telecommunications company partnered with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Fire Protection for a unified 911 emergency response hotline.

The system, rolled out through PLDT units PLDT Enterprise and ePLDT, Inc., modernizes 911 call handling and integrates police, fire, medical, and rescue services into a centralized, technology-enabled platform. It links national agencies with local government units for faster, more coordinated response.

The Philippines, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), is strengthening its initiatives against growing threats involving women and children. For instance, the DICT has ordered in January the ban of Grok, the generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by X.AI Corp. , owned by Elon Musk over deepfake and pornography.

The ban was immediately lifted following Grok’s commitment to implement safeguards that would prevent the generation of inappropriate content.

The agency is also working on a measure that would require users in the country to have their accounts verified.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose