Globe, Smart, PLDT to block sites streaming school shootings, violent content

Telecommunications companies Globe Telecom, PLDT. Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. said they will block websites hosting or streaming footage of school shootings and other violent content.

“We have a responsibility to help make the online environment safer, especially for children and young people. As new risks emerge, we need to keep looking at what more we can do,” Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo said Friday.

“The recent school shooting incident is one opportunity where the industry can work together by removing sites that induce violence in our networks. At Globe, we are ready to do our part and protect children online,” he added.

PLDT said in a separate statement that it will block over 100 websites found to be streaming or hosting footage of school shootings and other acts of extreme violence.

The move is part of its broader commitment to keeping its networks safe, particularly for children and young people who are increasingly exposed to harmful content online, it added.

"This is something we do not tolerate," said PLDT Chief Operating Officer Butch Jimenez. "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."

Meanwhile, Globe highlighted its 2025 anti-child exploitation campaign, underscoring its long-standing commitment to building a safer online environment.

“Globe blocked 438,446 domains and URLs containing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, backed by more than US$2.7 million in investments in advanced content filtering and blocking systems,” it said.

As technology advances and online threats evolve, the telcos said they continue to coordinate with the government and local and international organizations to help curb violence online. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/LDF, GMA News