If you suddenly find that certain websites are no longer accessible through your internet connection, it may not always be a problem with your browser, Wi-Fi, or router.
Some Philippine telecommunications and internet providers are actively blocking access to websites associated with extreme violence, school-shooting footage, child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, scams, and other harmful or prohibited content.Quick Answer
Are Philippine telcos blocking websites? Yes — Globe, PLDT, Smart, and Converge are implementing expanded network-level blocking of violent, harmful, and illegal content as of August 24, 2026 under DICT coordination.
Will this affect normal browsing? No — ordinary websites like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and banking apps are not affected.
What is being blocked? Graphic violence, school shooting footage, child sexual abuse materials, scam websites, and NVE-related content.
What should parents do? Blocking is only one layer. Parental controls + digital literacy education + open communication with children is still required.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced on August 24 that it is intensifying efforts against nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) and other harmful online content, particularly to protect children and young people.
The initiative involves government agencies, telecommunications companies, internet service providers, and digital platforms.
But what exactly is happening?
And what does it mean for ordinary Filipino internet users?
Let's break it down.
Why Is the Philippine Government Doing This?
The DICT says it is strengthening coordination with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Philippine National Police (PNP), internet service providers, telecommunications companies, and digital platforms.
The goal is to improve threat monitoring, information sharing, and network-level safeguards.
According to DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, the effort is particularly focused on protecting children and young people from harmful content and threats such as NVE.
The initiative comes as authorities become increasingly concerned about how easily young people can encounter disturbing material online.
Unlike the internet of years ago, today's children can encounter almost anything through:
- Social media
- Video-sharing platforms
- Messaging applications
- Online communities
- Search engines
- Websites
- Gaming communities
- Private groups
And sometimes the material isn't something a child was even looking for.
A link can be shared.
A video can be recommended.
A social media account can lead someone to another community.
That is one reason online safety has become much more complicated.
What Is Nihilistic Violent Extremism?
One of the terms appearing in the government's latest announcement is nihilistic violent extremism, or NVE.
The term can sound unfamiliar because it is a relatively emerging concern in the Philippines.
In simple terms, NVE refers to forms of extreme violence associated with nihilistic beliefs or communities rather than necessarily being driven by a traditional political or religious ideology.
Authorities have been examining how online communities and grooming can expose vulnerable young people to extreme ideas and violent material.
It is important, however, not to describe NVE as a specific criminal offense under a dedicated Philippine NVE law. The government has been addressing the emerging threat through existing legal, child-protection, cybersecurity, and law-enforcement frameworks.
That distinction matters because not every harmful online behavior automatically falls under a specific crime called "NVE."
What Are Philippine Telcos Blocking?
According to the DICT announcement, Globe, PLDT, Smart, and Converge are increasing network-level blocking measures.
The content categories mentioned include:
- Graphic violence
- Real-world violence
- School-shooting footage
- Child sexual abuse and exploitation materials
- Scams
- Other prohibited or harmful content
PLDT and Smart have begun preemptively blocking more than 100 domains linked to extreme violence, while Globe is expanding its blocking of websites containing gore and real-world violence.
This is in addition to existing efforts to block illegal and abusive material, particularly content involving the sexual exploitation of children.
Globe Blocked 438,446 CSAEM Domains and URLs in 2025
One of the most striking figures comes from Globe's own 2025 Integrated Report.
Globe reported blocking 438,446 domains and URLs containing Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) in 2025.
The company's report also says that 18,367 of those were identified as containing non-photographic imagery, including AI-generated material.
Globe says it has invested more than US$2.7 million in advanced content-filtering and blocking systems.
The company also says its systems have been expanded to address AI-generated child sexual abuse material and other forms of non-photographic imagery.
This is particularly important as generative AI makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish between traditional forms of abusive material and synthetic or computer-generated content.
Converge Reported Nearly 12 Billion Blocked Access Attempts
Converge also reported substantial activity in 2025.
According to the company's May 2026 announcement, Converge denied nearly 12 billion access requests to websites hosting dangerous, inappropriate, or harmful content during 2025.
It also blacklisted more than 72,000 domains and web addresses associated with prohibited content.
There's an important distinction here.
Converge did not say it blocked 12 billion websites.
The figure refers to access attempts or requests that were denied.
The more than 72,000 figure refers to domains and web addresses that were blacklisted.
Those are two different measurements.
What Does "Network-Level Blocking" Mean?
This is probably the part most ordinary internet users are interested in.
Network-level blocking means the filtering happens within the provider's network rather than only on your individual computer.
Think of it like a checkpoint.
You request a website:
Your device → Internet provider → Website
If the requested destination has been identified for blocking, the provider can prevent the connection from reaching that destination.
As a result, you might see:
- A blocked-site message
- A connection error
- A filtering notification
- A website that simply fails to load
The exact experience can vary depending on the provider and the technology being used.
Does This Mean Every Blocked Website Is Illegal?
Not necessarily.
This is an important distinction.
The current government initiative includes both illegal material and other harmful content.
For example, child sexual abuse and exploitation material is clearly subject to Philippine laws and mandatory blocking requirements.
Other categories, such as graphic violence or real-world violent footage, can involve different legal and policy considerations.
That's why it is more accurate to say that providers are blocking harmful, prohibited, or illegal content depending on the category and applicable safeguards, rather than saying every blocked website is automatically illegal.
The DICT also said providers observe due process and their respective human-rights policies when implementing website blocking and other network safeguards.
This Isn't Completely New
It's worth pointing out that the latest announcement doesn't mean Philippine telcos suddenly started filtering the internet in August 2026.
Child online safety and anti-abuse filtering have been ongoing for years.
For example, Globe has previously reported blocking thousands of domains containing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials and has worked with organizations such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
Globe also began blocking non-photographic child sexual abuse imagery, including AI-generated, CGI, animated, and other synthetic material, in 2024.
What's different about the latest announcement is the expanded attention to extreme violence, school-shooting footage, NVE-related material, and other harmful online content.
Why Are Children a Major Focus?
Children are among the most vulnerable internet users.
A young person may not have enough experience to recognize:
- Manipulative communities
- Grooming
- Violent propaganda
- Fake information
- Scam websites
- Dangerous challenges
- Exploitative content
- AI-generated misinformation
- Malicious links
And once something appears on a screen, simply telling a child:
"Don't look at that."
isn't always enough.
That's why online safety needs multiple layers.
It isn't just about blocking websites.
It also involves:
Parents + schools + government + telcos + platforms + technology + education
working together.
I think about my own mom when I read these announcements.
She is 83 years old. She watches YouTube every day on a tablet. A few months ago she called me over to show me a video — a well-known Filipino celebrity had apparently died. The face was right. The voice was right. The production looked real.
It was an AI deepfake. I wrote about that experience here.
My mom is not a child. But she is vulnerable to the same online manipulation that children face — because the technology is sophisticated enough to fool people regardless of age or experience.
That is why I think the government's expanded blocking initiative matters. Not just for children. For everyone in our households who uses the internet without the digital literacy to recognize when something is designed to harm them.
Blocking Alone Isn't Enough
This is something I think we sometimes overlook.
A website can be blocked.
But another website can appear.
A social-media account can be removed.
Another account can be created.
A domain can disappear.
A new domain can replace it.
That's why technological filtering needs to be combined with digital literacy and parental guidance.
Children should also learn how to recognize suspicious content, manipulation, grooming, scams, and other online dangers.
Globe, for example, has combined its technical safeguards with digital-literacy programs. Its Digital Thumbprint Program reached more than 16,560 students and educators in 2025, according to the company's 2026 Safer Internet Day report.
What Should Parents Do?
Parents shouldn't rely entirely on telcos or social-media companies to keep children safe.
If you have children using smartphones, tablets, computers, or YouTube, consider doing the following:
1. Talk to them about disturbing content
Make sure they understand that not everything they encounter online is appropriate or trustworthy.
2. Teach them not to click suspicious links
Especially links received from strangers or unfamiliar accounts.
3. Use parental controls
Most major platforms and operating systems provide tools that allow parents to restrict or monitor certain types of content.
4. Check what platforms they are using
Don't assume that because a child is watching a seemingly harmless video, the recommendations that follow will also be harmless.
5. Encourage them to tell you when something disturbing appears
A child shouldn't be afraid of getting in trouble simply because something inappropriate appeared on their screen.
The better response is:
"Tell me what happened. Let's deal with it together."
What About Adults?
Adults shouldn't assume they're immune either.
The same internet that exposes children to harmful content exposes adults to:
- Scams
- Fake news
- Deepfakes
- Phishing
- Malicious websites
- Financial fraud
- Violent content
- Manipulated videos
- Fake celebrity death reports
- AI-generated misinformation
This is one reason I believe digital literacy is becoming as important as traditional computer literacy.
Knowing how to use Facebook, YouTube, Google, or GCash isn't enough.
We also need to know how to recognize when something online is trying to manipulate us.
Will This Affect Normal Internet Browsing?
For most people, probably not in any noticeable way.
If you're using the internet for:
- Google searches
- YouTube
- Online banking
- Government websites
- Online shopping
- Work
- School
you shouldn't expect ordinary websites to suddenly become inaccessible simply because these new measures are being implemented.
The focus described by DICT is on identified harmful, prohibited, or illegal content.
However, website blocking can sometimes produce false positives or affect access to material that users believe should be available.
That's why transparency, clear policies, appropriate safeguards, and mechanisms for addressing mistakes are important.
What If a Website You Need Is Blocked?
Don't immediately assume your internet provider is broken.
First check:
- Whether the website is accessible from another legitimate connection.
- Whether the website itself is experiencing an outage.
- Whether the address was typed correctly.
- Whether your browser is displaying a specific blocking message.
- Whether your organization or school has its own filtering system.
If you believe a legitimate website has been incorrectly blocked, contact your internet provider and ask about the reason and available review or support process.
Don't try to bypass a block if you suspect the site is associated with illegal or harmful material.
The Bigger Issue: Our Internet Is Changing
When I was younger, the internet was something you accessed from a computer.
Today, it is everywhere.
It's in our phones.
Our televisions.
Our workplaces.
Our schools.
Our homes.
Even older family members are now regular internet users.
That means online safety isn't just a concern for IT professionals anymore.
It's a family issue.
It's a school issue.
It's a government issue.
And it's an everyday issue for anyone who uses the internet.
My Takeaway
I think the government's effort to protect children from genuinely harmful online material is important.
The numbers reported by Philippine telcos show that this isn't a small problem.
Globe reported blocking 438,446 domains and URLs containing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials in 2025, while Converge reported denying nearly 12 billion access attempts to harmful websites and blacklisting more than 72,000 domains and web addresses during the same year.
But technology alone isn't going to solve the problem.
Blocking is one layer.
Education is another.
Parental involvement is another.
Responsible behavior by online platforms is another.
And people themselves need to become better at recognizing manipulation and dangerous content.
The internet isn't going away.
So the goal shouldn't simply be to make the internet smaller.
The goal should be to make people safer and smarter internet users.
And for parents, especially those with children who spend hours watching videos or browsing social media, this is a good reminder:
Don't just ask what your child is watching. Ask how they know whether what they're watching is real, safe, and trustworthy.
That question may become more important than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Philippine telcos really blocking violent websites?
Yes. DICT announced on August 24, 2026 that Globe, PLDT, Smart, and Converge are stepping up network-level blocking involving graphic violence, school-shooting footage, child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, scams, and other harmful or prohibited content.
How many websites are being blocked?
The numbers vary by provider and content category. PLDT and Smart have begun preemptively blocking more than 100 domains associated with extreme violence. Globe reported blocking 438,446 domains and URLs containing CSAEM in 2025, while Converge reported blacklisting more than 72,000 domains and web addresses associated with prohibited content.
Is NVE illegal in the Philippines?
It is better not to describe NVE as a standalone crime under a dedicated Philippine NVE law. It is an emerging threat that authorities are addressing through existing laws and mechanisms involving cybersecurity, child protection and law enforcement.
Will this slow down my internet?
There is no basis in the current DICT announcement to say that ordinary users will experience a general slowdown. The measures described concern network-level filtering and blocking of identified content.
Can parents rely on telco blocking to protect their children?
No. Filtering is only one layer of protection. Parents should also use parental controls, communicate with children about online risks, and teach them how to identify harmful and misleading content.
Why isn't gambling included in the blocked websites list?
Gambling is partially included — but only illegal gambling. The Philippine government through PAGCOR licenses and regulates online gambling, earning significant revenue from licensed platforms. Legal, PAGCOR-licensed online gambling sites are not subject to ISP blocking. What IS being blocked are unlicensed and illegal gambling sites — of which PAGCOR has identified and blocked thousands. A proposed Anti-Online Gambling Act of 2025 that would ban all online gambling including licensed ones has not yet passed into law.
Sources: Philippine News Agency; Globe 2025 Integrated Report; Globe official online-safety announcements; Converge ICT official announcement.
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