Internet providers must block child porn sites or lose licenses – NTC

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on Thursday reminded local Internet service providers (ISPs) to block child pornography websites or lose their licenses.

“Yung memorandum circular na issue yan [ay noong] January pa... We published it already in the newspapers so valid na siya as a memorandum circular, magsisimula na kami (with the implementation). Kapag hindi sila tumupad sa memorandum circular, puwede po namin i-revoke yung kanilang lisensya,” said NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba in a press briefing.

Cordoba was referring to NTC's Memorandum Circular no. 01-01-2014 which states that "all Internet Service Providers shall install available technology, program or software that will block access or filter all websites carrying child pornography materials." 

Cordoba however clarified that the memorandum only covers websites containing child pornography materials but not other adult-oriented websites.

According to the memorandum, the list of websites to be blocked by the ISPs will come from the Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography (IACACP).

“Ito pong kasing council (IACACP) is also in touch with international partners so medyo mas mature na yung kanilang pagbabantay diyan. We are just implementing yun pong ibibigay nila na listahan,” Cordoba said.

Cordoba said the IACACP is set to submit the complete list of websites to be blocked as well as those “to be carefully monitored” soon.

Apart from the NTC, the council consists of:
 

• The Philippine National Police
• National Bureau of Investigation
• Department of Science and Technology
• Philippine Center on Transnational Crime
• Commission on Human Rights
• Optical Media Board
• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
• and various non-government organizations

Cordoba said that under the memorandum, ISPs are also required to submit a monthly report on websites blocked by their installed software.

“All ISPs shall submit to the IACACP within 5 days from the end of each month, a list of all websites carrying child pornography materials that were blocked. The list will contain all websites carrying child pornography materials that subscribers of respective ISPs attempted to access but were blocked by the installed carrier grade technology, program or software,” Section 4 of the memorandum states.

Cordoba, after some netizens called the memorandum “hypocritical”, meanwhile maintained the NTC's Memorandum Circular no. 01-01-2014 is in accordance with law. 

According to Section 9 of Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009, the NTC should promulgate rules and regulations for "the installation of filtering software that will block access to or transmission of any form of child pornography."

In January, Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT), a group of international agencies against child pornography, listed the Philippines among the top 10 countries in the world producing child pornography materials.

Child pornography materials include lewd photos, videos, chats and livestreaming involving minors.

In an interview with reporters, Police Senior Superintendent Gilbert Sosa, chief of the PNP-Anti Cybercrime Group , admitted they do not have exact figures on how many children in the country are involved in child pornography. He said the PNP is now coordinating with international agencies to find out.

“Inaayos pa namin yung figures.... Kino-collate po namin yung data ngayon, nakikipag coordinate kami sa foreign law enforcement agencies...Ang maganda sa foreign counterparts natin, may watchlist sila ng mga [offenders],” Sosa said.

Sosa said government efforts to curb child pornography have intensified.

“Ang data kasi namin is fluctuating. So hindi ko masasasabi kung lumalala o hindi pero ang masasabi ko we will be doubling our efforts. Kasama natin yung Inter-Agency Council Against Child Pornography dito para ma-address natin...Kasama din po natin yung mga NGOs na partners natin pati academe, mga eskuwelahan, stakeholders,” Sosa said. — Elizabeth Marcelo/JDS, GMA News