Telco giant continues to #MakeITSafe for children

You know times have changed when the word bagets has taken an entirely different meaning. A quick search for #bagets in a popular social media app will reveal underage sexual content – quite far from the innocuous 1980s movie title.

This is how pervasive online sexual abuse and exploitation in children (OSAEC) has become, and it was the focal point of the recently concluded webinar, Safer Internet Day: Atin Ang Proteksyon ng Mga Bata. Hosted by Globe, the webinar featured speakers from UNICEF, Internet Watch Foundation, Citizen Watch and Bantay Konsyumer, Kuryente, Kalsada (BK3), as well as representatives from Globe Telecom and the social welfare and education sectors.

Globe’s Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications, Yoly Crisanto, started the webinar by painting the state of OSAEC in the country. She stated that one in two young children in the Philippines is a victim of internet violence, like sexual violence and cyberbullying.

The OSAEC figures reached a harrowing increase of 265% in the first three months of the first enhanced community quarantine in 2020 alone. As many lost their livelihood because of the pandemic, the country recorded over 260,000 new cases of OSAEC, some of which involve mothers or fathers peddling their own underage children online in exchange for money.

As a digital solutions provider, Globe reinforces its strategy against illicit online content by raising awareness and educating the public on how they can help end OSAEC in the country. The webinar coincides with Safer Internet Day and Globe partnered with agencies which have the same commitment to provide every Filipino child with a safe online environment.

Leading the awareness drive against OSAEC is UNICEF Philippines through the SaferKidsPH Programme. Children Protection Officer Ramil Anton Villafranca placed the spotlight on the contributing factors to OSAEC in the country, which is currently the world’s largest known source of online child sexual exploitation. With majority of Filipino children who have access to the internet doing so without adult supervision, Villafranca underscores the need to protect children from online abuse and sexual exploitation. SaferKidsPH is fulfilling its goal of reducing the prevalence of OSAEC by supporting government efforts in the adoption of key policies on child protection, and partnering with internet providers like Globe.

The issue of OSAEC is a global concern and international agency, Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has been working for 25 years to give people a safe digital space. IWF’s Communications Director, Emma Hardy, talked about the non-profit organization’s active role in identifying images and videos of sexual abuse in children worldwide. IWF then alerts proper law enforcement authorities so they can block these inappropriate content. To date, IWF has 170 global technology partners, including Globe Telecom. Through the support of these companies, reporting portals and new technology are in place to help eliminate online child sexual abuse imagery and related content.

As Globe continues to enrich the lives of Filipinos, constant education is a top priority. Atty. Irish Almeda, Data Protection Officer under Globe Telecom’s Information Security and Data Privacy Group, presented initiatives aligned with guarding data privacy as one of the means to maintain a safe online environment. The integration of the Digital Thumbprint Program in the K-12 Curriculum is testament to the important role of education in promoting digital safety.  The Global Filipino Schools program, Global Filipino Teacher and Online Parenting series, Safe Space: A Kid’s Guide in Data Privacy are other initiatives supporting the Globe OSAEC ecosystem. Atty. Almeda also notes that Globe is continuously blocking offensive websites reported by the Canadian Center for Child Protection. In fact, as early as 2017, Globe has been engaged in the MakeITSafe campaign where they invested in content filtering systems that block websites and imagery which promote pornography and online piracy.

Consumer advocate groups also lent their take on the issue of OSAEC. CitizenWatch Philippines Convenor Atty. Tim Abejo pointed out that OSAEC in the Philippines is usually a family-based crime. He takes the proactive stance fighting OSAEC by partnering with the private sector through companies like Globe. Outlining the conflict between current Philippine child protection and data privacy laws, he mentions that it would be best to identify a single agency to cater to OSAEC concerns and pushes for societal participation along with awareness through educational institutions.

Prof. Louie Montemar of Bantay Konsyumer, Kuryente, Kalsada (BK3) maintains that we can only be truly digitally ready if we can guarantee the safety of children in online spaces. BK3 supports the intervention from the private sector and urges collaboration from the government to uphold online safety and the responsible use of technology.

After a short open forum, Globe’s Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio wrapped up the webinar by highlighting the significance of having a venue to discuss pressing issues. He affirms that the digital world has given everyone a voice, and Globe will continue to forge partnerships to protect its 85 million customers and fulfill its purpose to make the Philippines a better place for every family.

To know more about how you can #MakeITSafe with Globe and other online safety efforts, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability.html.

You can still watch the Safer Internet Day: Atin Ang Proteksyon ng Mga Bata webinar and see celebrities taking a stand to #StopOnlineChildAbuse in the Globe Bridging Communities FB page.