The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is studying the possibility of banning messaging application Telegram in the Philippines over concerns that it is being used to facilitate pornography and illegal gambling operations.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said illegal gambling operators have allegedly transferred their activities to Telegram. He added that the platform is also being used to spread pornographic materials, particularly links containing sensitive photos and videos.
In an interview during DZRH's Dos Por Dos, Aguda said the agency has encountered difficulties coordinating with Telegram’s management, making it challenging to enforce local regulations on the platform.
Prior to this, Aguda said he had met with officials of Meta Platforms to address various crimes being committed through its social media platforms.
He stressed that certain issues are “non-negotiable,” including online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Aguda warned that if such content continues to proliferate, the government would not hesitate to block platforms that fail to act.
“Ayon ang napag-agreehan namin na non-negotiable. Ito bantayan niyo ngayon sa social media sabihin n’yo sa akin kung nakikita n’yo na one, online sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Sabi ko kapag may nakita pa ‘kong isa, magalit na sa akin ang magalit pero iboblock ko sila.”
The second concern raised by the DICT chief was financial scams. While he noted a decrease in fraudulent activities, he admitted that some cases persist, particularly involving the sale of questionable products that often victimize elderly individuals.
“Ang financial scam medyo nabawasan, may mga nakikita pa ‘kong mangilan-ngilan, hindi pa ‘ko ganun ka-happy pero nabawasan na ‘yong mga nagbebenta ng kung anu-ano. Isa ‘yan sa mga sabi ko kawawa naman ‘yong mga matatanda natin.”
The third issue involves deepfake content. Aguda pointed out the growing spread of manipulated images and memes, including altered photos of politicians that no longer closely resemble their real appearance due to advanced image filtering technologies.
“Tignan n’yo ngayon ‘yong mga memes, kapag nakita n’yo ‘yong picture ng politiko halos hindi niya kamukha. Hindi tulad ng dati kamukhang-kamukha kasi meron na silang image filtering.”
Aguda assured the public that the DICT is working closely with the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to put an end to illegal online gambling operations and other cyber-related crimes.
