Globe Telecom Inc. is intensifying its crackdown on illegal online gambling sites, recording a 967 percent surge in blocked sites for the first quarter of this year.
According to data from Globe, a total of 1,345 domains were blocked, compared to only 126 barred sites in the same period in 2023.
For 2024, the telco blocked 260 sites for the month of January, 855 in February, and 230 in March.
For the full year of 2023, it had blocked 4,237 sites, which is a significant increase from 392 logged in 2022 and 52 in 2021.
In a statement on May 4, the telco stated that it has invested more than $2.7 million for advanced content filtering infrastructure, which it utilizes for its blocking operations.
This infrastructure is also being used to filter child pornographic content and fight online piracy.
"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 Globe’s Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio.
Aside from blocking, the telco is also undergoing digital literacy campaigns to inform users on online gambling, with the help of government agencies and stakeholders.