PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. have blocked more than 100 websites found streaming or hosting footage of school shootings and other acts of extreme violence, moving to shield users from harmful and disturbing online material.
The telecom leaders said the initiative places particular focus on protecting children and young people, who face growing exposure to potentially traumatic and harmful content across digital spaces.
“This is something we do not tolerate,” PLDT chief operating officer Butch Jimenez stated. “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.”
The blocking operates at the network level, making the identified sites inaccessible to all PLDT and Smart subscribers. The company noted the list will keep growing as additional platforms are flagged through ongoing monitoring and close coordination with government agencies, child protection groups, and parenting communities.
“There is no debate to be had here,” Jimenez added. “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.”
The action forms part of the PLDT Group’s broader portfolio of child protection and online safety programs, which also includes blocking websites that host child sexual abuse material. The move underscores the company’s corporate commitment to upholding safe digital spaces and taking proactive responsibility for content accessed through its infrastructure.
