Cheyenne Suarez

PLDT, Smart to block websites featuring school shooting videos

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Philippine telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. and its wireless arm Smart Communications announced Friday they will block over 100 websites hosting footage of school shootings and extreme violence.  The network-level ban renders the targeted platforms inaccessible across all PLDT and Smart broadband and mobile services nationwide, the telco said.The measure is aimed at protecting children and young subscribers from escalating exposure to harmful digital content, PLDT added.&quot;This is something we do not tolerate,&quot; said PLDT Chief Operating Officer Butch Jimenez. &quot;We have decided to ban these kinds of sites preemptively, as soon as they are discovered. Our networks will not be used as a channel for content that glorifies violence and puts our communities, especially our children, at risk.&quot;PLDT stated the list of restricted domains will continually grow through internal monitoring alongside coordination with government bodies, child welfare groups, and parenting networks.&quot;There is no debate to be had here,&quot; Jimenez added. &quot;Content that turns real-world violence into entertainment has no place on our networks and in our society, and we will keep acting decisively every time we find it.&quot;The preemptive action follows PLDT&#x27;s existing cyber-protection framework, which includes blocking platforms hosting child sexual abuse material.

The network-level ban renders the targeted platforms inaccessible across all PLDT and Smart broadband and mobile services nationwide, the telco said.

The network-level ban renders the targeted platforms inaccessible across all PLDT and Smart broadband and mobile services nationwide, the telco said.