Local telcos PLDT and Globe Telecom are blocking hundreds of websites carrying footage of school shootings and other acts of extreme violence, prompting concerns from a cyber activist over the absence of clear standards and due process.
Cybersecurity professional Albert “Abet” Dela Cruz has proposed a national digital safety framework requiring platforms to restrict features for minors by default, device makers to incorporate safety controls during activation, and the government to expand digital literacy programs for parents.
Sen. Bam Aquino has rejected calls for an outright ban on video games for minors following the fatal school shooting in Zamboanga City, saying the government should instead tighten the enforcement of age restrictions on mature-rated games and restrict minors’ access to harmful online chat groups.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is renewing calls for tighter controls on children’s use of digital platforms, reviving a proposed smartphone ban in schools and seeking a Senate inquiry into the role of online games and social media in campus violence.
