COMMUNITY | PLDT seeks clearer power to block online threats to children
The issue was raised by PLDT Chief Operating Officer Menardo G. Jimenez Jr. during the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” forum led by PROTECTA Pilipinas, a multisectoral alliance focused on cyber resilience and digital safety.
PLDT is seeking clearer government guidance on when telecommunications companies can block online platforms linked to child exploitation, grooming and other harmful content, as government, law enforcement, education and private-sector representatives met for a digital safety forum.
The issue was raised by PLDT Chief Operating Officer Menardo G. Jimenez Jr. during the “Protecting Children in the Digital Age” forum led by PROTECTA Pilipinas, a multisectoral alliance focused on cyber resilience and digital safety.
Jimenez said telecommunications companies have a responsibility to protect children online but need to understand the legal authority available to them when harmful activity is identified.
“We need to know when and how we’re going to shut down these evil platforms,” Jimenez said, clarifying that he was referring to specific sites and platforms involved in harmful activities rather than the internet or major platforms as a whole.
He said emerging online threats have expanded beyond pornography, scams and other risks traditionally addressed by telecommunications companies to include violence and the coercion of children into harmful acts.
“We’re not talking about numbers here—that it’s got to be a million kids before we do something. Two million kids. No. One kid, that’s good enough,” Jimenez said. “Telcos are not here to play God. We’re here to protect the kids.”
Jimenez said PLDT and Smart are prepared to invest in technology that can identify harmful sites and activity, but the company needs to know whether it can block such platforms without additional government authorization.
The forum brought together representatives from government, law enforcement, telecommunications, education, media and the private sector to discuss online violence, child exploitation and digital safety.
Atty. Roy D. Ibay, Smart vice president and head of regulatory affairs and lead convenor of PROTECTA, said protecting children online requires cooperation among government, industry, civil society and communities.
Council for the Welfare of Children Undersecretary Angelo Tapales said children should not be expected to protect themselves from online risks, while PNP Women and Children Protection Center Lt. Col. Ayn Natuel warned that online harm increasingly involves networked communities that groom, blackmail and coerce young people.
The forum also called for updated policies, stronger enforcement tools, platform accountability, responsible content creation, parental guidance and greater attention to mental health and other factors that can increase children’s vulnerability online.
PROTECTA Pilipinas, spearheaded by PLDT, brings together government, industry and communities to strengthen cyber resilience, protect critical infrastructure and promote a safer digital environment.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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