Smart foregoes with blocking links in text messages

PLDT Inc.’s wireless services arm Smart Communications Inc. on Friday said it has decided to forego with blocking clickable links in text messages or short message service (SMS).

In a statement, Smart said it has previously looked into blocking clickable website links or Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) in all SMS passing through its network as a way of curbing the rise of smishing.

“Upon closer study, however, we decided to forego this approach. Notably, neither the National Telecommunications Commission nor the National Privacy Commission has ordered the ban on clickable links in SMS,” said Angel Redoble, first vice president and chief information security officer of PLDT and Smart.

Likewise, PLDT and Smart chief data privacy officer Leah Jimenez said that “smishing is best fought with nuance, by wielding a scalpel and not an axe. We are taking a multi-pronged approach on targeted smishing.”

Redoble also explained that Smart continues to put in place controls to enable the company to respond to smishing more effectively.

In particular, he said that “SMS sent via our SMS broadcast service can no longer contain URL shorteners that have been shown to be used by SMS spammers.”

“More importantly, we have not hesitated in suspending access to our network of aggregator-clients that have been involved in sending out smishing. We also continue to cooperate in the ongoing government investigations. We comply with the orders of our regulators for information on smishing activities,” said Redoble.

“We have met with law enforcement officials to strategize on how to apprehend the perpetrators of these SMS scams. We still have our public awareness initiatives to educate the public on how best to protect themselves against SMS-related frauds,” said he.

Globe has earlier started temporarily blocking all text messages from prepaid and postpaid numbers that contain URLs or website links as part of its efforts to combat spam and scam text messages.

Early this month, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) directed telcos to block URLs, links, and quick response codes on text messages amid the proliferation of spam text messages, some of which contain the recipient's full name.

Smart said that 99% of the SMS sent through its network is legitimate, thus a “wholesale prohibition on the sending of links via SMS would cripple our customers’ ability to connect with their business networks and community.”

Nevertheless, while Smart has been aggressive in going after perpetrators of smishing or spam texts messages, Jimenez said that the telco “has not lost sight of the need to protect our customers’ right to privacy and the freedom to communicate.”—AOL, GMA News