PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. have blocked over 100 websites streaming or hosting extreme violence, including school shootings, in a move to shield users from harmful digital material.
The telecommunications giants emphasized that the initiative specifically aims to protect children and youth from exposure to disturbing online content.
“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.”
Implemented at the network level to make the domains inaccessible to PLDT and Smart subscribers, the blocklist will expand as monitoring teams identify new sites in coordination with government agencies, child protection groups, and parenting communities.
“There is no debate to be had here,” Jimenez said. “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 ban aligns with the PLDT Group’s broader online safety efforts, which also include domain blocking for child sexual abuse material.