Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) backed the renewed push for Subscriber Identity Mobile (SIM) Card Registration Bill to ensure consumer protection, the telco stated Wednesday, June 22.
This comes as Senator Grace Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee, urged members of the incoming 19th Congress to immediately pass the measure to prevent text scams.
"As a longtime advocate of consumer online protection, Smart has been actively implementing initiatives to keep our customers safe, especially from scams and fraud," said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Inc and Smart Communications President and CEO.
"We are always ready to support the legislative process. We welcome any opportunity to contribute to the success of the SIM card registration bill and support the government in developing its implementing rules and regulations," he added.
Smart and parent company PLDT have been actively working with government and regulators for consumer protection.
Through their Cybersecurity Operations Group, PLDT and Smart fortify the resiliency of their cybersecurity systems to protect users from cyberthreats.
Recently, the two telcos blocked more than 23 million SMS containing three URLs identified as phishing sites.
This latest clampdown on 'smishing', or cybersecurity attacks via text messages that aim to steal the victim's personal data, expands PLDT and Smart's efforts to safeguard customers.
From January to May this year, PLDT and Smart blocked over 600,000 text messages linked to smishing, hoaxes and spamming.
To protect customers from fraudulent activities, PLDT and Smart also blocked almost 78,000 SIMs related to smishing over the same period.
Between mid-February and May this year, PLDT and Smart blocked more than 500 domains specifically linked to smishing.
The PLDT Group has further blocked more than 10,000 domains tied to phishing since July 2021.
They invested nearly ₱3 billion in cybersecurity infrastructure in 2021, to safeguard the public against emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities, including online fraud and other criminal activities.