PLDT Group reiterated its commitment to protecting Filipino children online by strengthening current efforts and collaborating on new initiatives.
The company lauded the government call to action against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and reiterated its support for multi-sectoral efforts to combat this crime.
“We laud the President for raising the alarm and reinforcing the urgency of solutions against OSAEC. PLDT and Smart remain committed to working with the government and supporting multi-sectoral efforts to curb this crime and making the digital environment safer for our children,” Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT and Smart president and chief executive, said.
From June 2021 until end March 2024, PLDT and Smart blocked more than 1 million URLs and online content linked to OSAEC. Both also blocked over 5.6 million end-user attempts to access child abuse sites since November 2021.
PLDT and Smart utilize a pioneering child protection platform that enables detection and blocking of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM) on the domain and content level without violating data privacy laws. Both telcos work with global organizations to source dynamic intelligence on CSAEM, including UK-based charity Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the Canadian Centre for Children Protection for its Project Arachnid.
They are engaging further with the IWF to explore new strategies and keep abreast of emerging trends surrounding OSAEC, including the rise of self-generated CSAEM and the growing use of Artificial Intelligence to exploit children online.
Further to deploying technology solutions, PLDT and Smart have been actively sharing their industry expertise and best practices to support the government in crafting policies and boosting capacity to combat OSAEC. Both telcos earlier worked with the houses of Congress and with the Department of Justice in developing the landmark legislation against OSAEC, Republic Act 11930 or the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Law.
“We aim to continue forging partnerships and participating in constant dialogues with our national and local government agencies, and with local and global civil society organizations to stay updated and keep enhancing our capability to protect children online,” said PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer Melissa V. Vergel de Dios.
In 2018, PLDT and Smart made a public commitment to place children at the heart of their businesses by integrating children’s rights in their operations. The telcos have since developed a child safeguarding policy to institutionalize child safety provisions in their human resources, product development, marketing, technology, and stakeholder engagements, among others.
“These initiatives anchor on our strategic focus to embed sustainability in our operations. Recognizing children as active end-users of our services and as important members of society, child protection will always be integral to our efforts of bridging the digital divide and doing business responsibly,” said Vergel de Dios
