Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Young people use social media apps on their mobile phones and computers as they attend  the forum, Keeping the Flame of Freedom Alive: Case Study of Percy Lapid Mabasa, at the CMC Auditorium Plaridel Hall UP Diliman Quezon City on October 3, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787471457506177668240741720231003-percy-lapid-forum-JC-4546.jpg copy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Young people use social media apps on their mobile phones and computers as they attend the forum, Keeping the Flame of Freedom Alive: Case Study of Percy Lapid Mabasa, at the CMC Auditorium Plaridel Hall UP Diliman Quezon City on October 3, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Despite presumed good intentions, a telco&#x27;s decision to block access to dozens of websites it said host footage of school shootings and extreme violence could set a precedent for corporations taking on government functions, an online rights advocate said.</p><p>PLDT Inc. and its wireless arm Smart Communications announced Friday they are blocking access to more than 100 sites, saying &quot;<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/8/21/pldt-smart-to-block-websites-featuring-school-shooting-videos-1708">we have decided to ban these kinds of sites preemptively, as soon as they are discovered</a>.&quot;</p><p>Carljoe Javier, executive director of Data and AI Ethics PH, said that decision &quot;moves PLDT-Smart from an internet service provider to a self-proclaimed censor.&quot;</p><p>He said the intent to prevent further harm is understandable but &quot;they are encroaching on functions of the state — it&#x27;s the state that should be setting terms and serving as regulator.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/20/doj-cautions-against-sharing-videos-of-zamboanga-school-shooting-1449"><strong>DOJ cautions against sharing videos of Zamboanga school shooting</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CYBERCRIME PREVENTION ACT</strong></div><p>Under the Cybercrime Prevention Act, the decision to take down content and block access must be made by a court, which would issue an order to do that if warranted.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/26/court-rules-ntc-blocking-of-bulatlat-other-sites-violates-free-speech-1936"><strong>Court rules NTC blocking of Bulatlat, other sites violates free speech<br/></strong></a></div><p>That has not kept the executive branch from<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/1/16/philippines-dict-bans-grok-0748"> banning access to certain sites</a> and apps, <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/3/12/some-tumblr-users-redirected-as-site-tagged-for-illegal-gambling-cicc-says-investigating-1412">sometimes in error</a>.</p><p>Javier told ABS-CBN News on Sunday allowing telcos to decide to block content &quot;without question is setting up dangerous precedent.&quot; </p><p>PLDT on Friday said the restrictions would be done through internal monitoring and through coordination with government bodies, child welfare groups, and parenting networks.</p><p>Javier said that while &quot;we may all agree&quot; that people should not have access to extremely violent content, letting internet providers decide &quot;what content they want&quot; is risky.</p><p>&quot;This should be a concern for anyone who want to preserve our digital spaces and our rights in terms of freedom of expression,&quot; he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/7/28/dict-backs-stricter-rules-for-online-content-1259"><strong>DICT backs stricter rules for online content<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;KNEE-JERK REACTION?&#x27;</strong></div><p>In a Facebook post, law professor and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay asked whether the move is a knee-jerk reaction that the telco is exercising beyond its authority.</p><p>&quot;Banning &#x27;content that glorifies violence&#x27; isn’t something even supreme courts in the US and Philippines have been confident enough to do,&quot; he also said as he asked what makes the telco &quot;wiser than these fallible institutions?&quot; </p><p>He said by blocking sites unilaterally, the telco &quot;assumes the role of a thought police&quot; that it does not have power to do &quot;because no such power can be delegated by Congress in the first place.&quot;</p><p>A school shooting in Zamboanga City that left two students dead earlier in the week has prompted calls to regulate or ban <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/remulla-links-roblox-to-radicalization-after-zamboanga-shooting-1506">video games</a>, social media platforms, and online services that show &quot;violent content.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/20/parents-urged-to-monitor-kids-gadget-use-after-school-violence-1243"><strong>&#x27;Adults give the cue&#x27;: Parents urged to monitor kids&#x27; gadget use after school violence incidents</strong></a></div>

<p>Despite presumed good intentions, a telco's decision to block access to dozens of websites it said host footage of school shootings and extreme violence could set a precedent for corporations taking on government functions, an online rights advocate said.</p>

Despite presumed good intentions, a telco's decision to block access to dozens of websites it said host footage of school shootings and extreme violence could set a precedent for corporations taking on government functions, an online rights advocate said.

Telco decision to block ‘extreme’ content raises censorship concerns

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Telco decision to block ‘extreme’ content raises censorship concerns

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 23, 2026 05:56 PM PHT

Read More:

PLDT

Smart Communications

Freedom of Expression

Data and AI Ethics PH

Florin Hilbay

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