Globe Telecom Inc. has seen a surge in the number of illegal gambling sites blocked over the last three years – from only 52 sites blocked when it started in 2021, to 396 in 2022 and a whopping 4,237 in 2023.
In the first quarter of the year, Globe said the number of illegal gambling sites blocked increased by a staggering 967 percent to 1,345 compared to 126 sites barred in the same quarter of last year.
Of the total, 260 sites were blocked in January, 855 in February and 230 in March.
Through a combination of network-level blocking measures and the deployment of content filtering systems, Globe said it is fighting to keep its customers safe from the harmful effects of online gambling operations.
“Illegal online gambling can have devastating financial and social consequences, fueling problematic gambling behavior and exposing users to potential fraud, malware and cybercrime. We have an ethical obligation to make the internet safer and are continuing our relentless push to identify and prevent access to these unlawful sites on our network,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe chief information security officer.
The government earlier warned the public against illegal online gambling sites as these are hotbeds of scams, including credit card fraud and identity theft. It said the public should only use licensed online-based games.
Globe said it has invested over $2.7 million in an advanced content filtering infrastructure capable of detecting and restricting websites and imagery that promote not just online gambling, but also child pornography and online piracy.
This forms a key pillar of the company’s #MakeITSafePH program initated in 2017 to foster a secure online environment to educate consumers about pervasive online risks like illegal gambling and how they can protect themselves.
