IPOPHL Deputy Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo signed the request on May 3, 2024 after a decision was issued on May 2, 2024, by IPOPHL’s IP Rights Enforcement Office (IEO) Supervising Director Christine Pangilinan-Canlapan. 

The IEO found that the 11 sites associated to YTS, namely yts.mx, yts.rs, yts.do, ytsuproxy.to, yts.dirproxy.com, yts.unblocked.love, ytssss.jamsbase.com, yts.lt, yts.ag, yts.am and torrents.yts.rs., all committed piracy or copyright infringement, violating Section 216 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, as well as Memorandum Circular 23-025 or the Rules on Voluntary Administrative Site Blocking. 

“A thorough examination reveals that all of the aforementioned websites are hosting pirated versions of movies or TV shows, allowing users to access these illegal copies by downloading them through links on the same website or by streaming them online,” read the IEO decision.

Infringers were operating by using various methods to distribute and access copyrighted material illegally, including via peer-to-peer networks for sharing files, hosting content on illegal streaming websites, distributing files via direct downloads and using tools like virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their activities. 

According to the decision, the websites under complaint are also listed in the WIPO Alert, a data-sharing platform on piracy of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The YTS is the official home of YIFY, one of the world’s most prolific sites involved in the illegal replication and distribution of copyright content. A 2015 report from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) of America said the site has a library of some 4,500 infringing motion picture titles.

“Millions of netizens visit this website so this a major win for the creative industry. We encourage more stakeholders to come forward, file a complaint and further disrupt access to piracy websites,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel S. Barba said. 

The issuance stemmed from a complaint filed by the MPA, Inc. which lauded IPOPHL for its first site-blocking request.

“This site blocking order and forthcoming blocking actions will have a substantial impact on the Philippines piracy landscape. We will continue to work closely with the Philippines’ government and creative industry in the fight against the scourge of digital piracy,” the MPA said in a statement. 

The MPA’s member studios include Netflix Studios, LLC; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; Disney Enterprises, Inc.; and Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., among others.

As to the administrators of the pirated sites, they could not be contacted as they are unknown or could not be ascertained after reasonable efforts to identify them. Hence, as a way of notification according to the rules on site-blocking, IPOPHL posted the request on its website. After giving respondents five working days to respond or raise any protest against the decision, IPOPHL served the site-blocking request to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and internet service providers (ISPs) on May 14. 

The NTC issued on May 16 a memorandum order directing all ISPs to effect the immediate blocking of the websites and report within five days the actions they have taken. As of May 18, almost all ISPs that are signatories to the site-blocking memorandum of understanding have cut access to the sites

According to ScamWatch Pilipinas, relationship-based online fraud, in the context of a romance, has long been prevalent in the Philippines but may see a surge this February.

The CICC forms the crux of the partnership as it serves as the main receiving government agency for all the cybercrime reports of the public. According to the CICC, Filipinos lose about Php 1 billion every year to online scams in general.

“We urge victims of cybercrime to proactively report to the CICC. We have the Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC) which responds to cybercrime complaints and recovery of hacked accounts,” said CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos.

The I-ARC is the centralized cybercrime response inter-agency collaboration of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Department of Information, Communications, and Technology (DICT), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and National Privacy Commission (NPC) with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as its law enforcement arm.

With the start of ‘love month’, ScamWatch PH, Converge, its government and non-government partners are reiterating their message for the public to remain vigilant against romance scams that prey on Filipinos and foreigners alike.

“With this collaboration, we are officially kicking off our Safer Internet campaign this February. We believe that education is key in combating these cyber criminals. As an internet service provider, we want to make sure that our network is not being used for illegal activities. We have always been an advocate of a safe online experience for everyone,” said Converge Vice President and Corporate Communications and Public Relations Head Jay-Anne Encarnado.

The UnMatchPH campaign will involve social media information dissemination and content through Converge and Scam Watch Pilipinas channels and publications in newspapers warning the public, especially women about the dangers of romance scams.

“Scams are prevalent and continue to increase. Based on what we’ve seen, love scams fall in several categories. People need to call 1326 and report these incidents so first we can gather data and whenever possible, repair the damage,” said Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Founder and Co-Lead Convenor Jocel de Guzman.

“The proliferation of these scams are expected to increase because of the season. The rationale behind this partnership is to educate citizens. The three pillars of cybersecurity culture are government, private sector, and the individual and the weakest among these is the individual, hence the emphasis on education,” added Art Samaniego, Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Lead Convenor and Manila Bulletin Technology Editor.

At a press conference held Tuesday, Scam Watch Pilipinas presented the eight most common love scam profiles that proliferate among the public. Other partners, BPI Philippines, GoTyme Bank, and Gogolook all expressed their support for the campaign.

Romance scams involve the creation of and manipulation of a personal relationship with a victim to extort money or goods, even drugs. These scams often start as ‘matches’ online, whether through dating apps or social media.

ScamWatch Pilipinas will feature victim testimonials, going to the barangay and parish levels, to broaden the reach of the information campaign.

ScamWatch Pilipinas urges the public to save the Inter-Agency Response Center (I-ARC) Hotline 1326 on their mobile devices in case of need.

By Alithea De Jesus

Mindful of unabated and menacing spams and scams perpetuated by unscrupulous group, the country’s premier digital and fintech association FinTech Alliance.PH launched a multistakeholder national cybersecurity awareness and education campaign tagged #WagMagpalokoMagingScamAlerto!

This nationwide campaign hopes and aims in educating millions of Filipino smartphone and online users against phishing scams which was held on May 29, 2023, at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City. 

Other advocates who joined and supported the multistakeholder national consumer cybersecurity campaign spearheaded by FinTech Alliance are from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Securities and Exchange Commission, Insurance Commission, National Privacy Commission, National Telecommunications Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, telecommunications companies, consumer groups, and media groups.

“I am proud to see everyone working hard to make the Nationwide Consumer Cybersecurity Education Campaign an effective and invaluable tool in helping accelerate the Philippines’ Digital Economy. You can count on BSP to be a staunch supporter of our project. We will continue to work hand in hand with all of our stakeholders and ensure the far-reaching impact of this campaign,” said BSP Governor Felipe Medalla.

“With all industry players, government, media and Filipino consumers working together, we’re ready to unlock the power of cybersecurity with consumer education! We enjoin all FinTech Alliance member companies to have our campaign in all your social media platforms and use the hashtag #WagMagpalokoMagingScamAlerto,” said Lito Villanueva, founding chairman of the Fintech Alliance.PH and RCBC executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer.

The massive nationwide multistakeholder cybersecurity education and awareness campaign was launched in response to the emergence of risks and threats to users’ safety and to ensure sustained consumer trust on digital payments platforms. With various organizations coming from the private sector, the government, and the media, FinTech Alliance.PH hopes to combat the rising tide of cybercrime through multiple prongs and engagement strategies. 

The leading FinTech organization also jump-started the first cohort of the Cambridge FinTech Regulatory and Innovations (FTRI) Program. The Cambridge FTRI program is by the Judge Business School of the University of Cambridge in Southeast Asia in partnership with the Mapua University in the Philippines. The program targets the development and training of regulators, legislators, policy makers, and practitioners and professionals in banking, fintech and digital industries.

The two initiatives by the Alliance were among the key events in their recent General Membership Meeting with the theme, “Accelerating the Philippines’ digital economy and unlocking the power of consumer education on cybersecurity.” In the same event, BSP Governor Medalla gave a keynote speech entitled, “The Current Philippine Digital Landscape: What’s Next Beyond the Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap.” 

An outlook on the Philippine Economy was also given by S&P Global APAC Chief Economist Rajiv Biswas highlighting the country’s trajectory towards being a one trillion US dollar economy by 2033.

“We cannot do this as an industry without building a very strong strategic collaboration with regulators that allows an enabling environment for inclusive innovations. From co-developing the National Retail Payments System, National Strategy for Financial Inclusion and other regulations on emerging technologies such as virtual assets, regulatory sandbox and digital banking, to open finance, and central bank digital currency, among others,” Villanueva added. 

New FinTech Alliance corporate members were sworn in by BSP Governor Medalla. From just 15 founding corporate members in 2017 to nearly 100 in 2023.

FinTech Alliance.PH, the Philippines’ premier and largest digital and fintech association, is composed of startups and unicorns that account for over 95 percent of digital-initiated transactions volume in the country.

For more information, visit https://www.fintechalliance.ph/.

Signed into law on October 10, 2022, Republic Act (RA) No. 11934 or the “Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act” requires all subscribers to public telecommunications services to register their existing SIM cards within the prescribed period or face deactivation.

The National Telecommunications Commission released on December 12 the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the SIM Card Registration Act, which will take effect starting December 27.

Subscribers will have 180 days from the effectivity of the law to register their SIM cards. The registration may be extended by up to 120 days.

Newly purchased unregistered SIM cards will remain inactive until registered.

Telecommunications companies (telcos) or public telecommunications entities (PTEs) are in charge of maintaining the database.

Registration is free. SIMs, embedded SIMs, broadband modem, and internet-of-things devices are covered in the registration.

Globe Telecom announced on December 21 that the company is ready to register 87.9 million SIM users online starting December 27, while Smart Communications has released its guidance to all Smart and TNT subscribers on the registration process.

Globe said that by December 27, new SIM holders can only purchase deactivated SIMs and must register them immediately to avail themselves of Globe services.

Globe and TM customers will continue to enjoy Globe services, but must register until April 26, 2023 to avoid deactivation.

All Globe Prepaid, TM, Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi, Globe Mobile WiFi and Globe Business prepaid subscribers can register their SIM cards on. https://new.globe.com.ph/simreg

By January, customers will also be able to register through the New GlobeOne app, the company said.

By February 2023, Globe is putting up assisted registration sites for those in need of help, those without access to the internet, or those using basic or feature phones.

Meanwhile, Smart Prepaid, Smart Bro, and TNT subscribers can register through https://smart.com.ph/simreg.

Smart Postpaid subscribers will be notified and will be asked for their confirmation. The customer details and documents they provided when they subscribed to Smart services will suffice.

Enterprise customers will be notified and will be asked for their confirmation to register their existing information with Smart through their authorized signatories.

For DITO subscribers, they are directed to register via the DITO app.

The SIM Registration Law aims to protect users from any SIM, internet or electronic communication-aided crimes such as terrorism; text scams; unsolicited, indecent or obscene messages; bank fraud; libel; anonymous online defamation; trolling; hate speech; and spread of digital disinformation or fake news.

Penalties will be imposed for violations of the law. For providing false information, fictitious identities or fraudulent identification documents to register a SIM, the offender faces imprisonment ranging from six months to two years or a fine of between P100,000 and P300,000, or both.

For the sale or transfer of a registered SIM without complying with the required registration, the penalty is imprisonment ranging from six months to six years, or a fine of P100,000 to P300,000, or both.

For spoofing a registered SIM, imprisonment of no less than six years or a fine of P200,000, or both, awaits the perpetrator.

For selling stolen SIMs, the penalty is imprisonment ranging from six months to two years, or a fine not less than P100,000 but not more than P300,000, or both.

Globe welcomes the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) directive to block or deactivate URLs in text messages as this will institutionalize the fight against spam and text fraud.

Globe has long been blocking spam and scam text messages we detect, including those containing malicious URLs or links. This is part of our ongoing effort to filter out dangerous SMS to protect our customers. We will coordinate closely with the NTC to come up with new solutions to further protect customers against online fraud.

We reiterate our call on all stakeholders to heighten vigilance and take proactive steps to support industry efforts against escalating threats.

We encourage the public to report scam and spam SMS through our Stop Spam portal. They may also equip themselves against online scammers and learn how to become responsible digital citizens for a safer online environment through modules accessible for free through our Digital Thumbprint Program via this link.

Preliminary data show that the 13-member committee hauled P24.9 billion worth of counterfeit goods seized from its inspection and raid operations last year. This surpasses the P23.6-billion worth of counterfeit goods in 2018.

“We attribute our record seizure to increased efforts and unwavering commitment of the NCIPR, given that this record was achieved even with pandemic restrictions. We also strategized on directing our efforts to the ‘bigger fish’ by targeting wholesale suppliers, large warehouses and logistics centers in various cities which proved to be hotspots for counterfeit goods,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said in a press conference IPOPHL held last Feb. 24. 

He added that the committee is currently working closely with local government units (LGUs) to help them institutionalize an Anti-Counterfeiting and Anti-Piracy Policy, which can ensure the strict implementation of the IP Code and foster a culture of fair business practices and respect for IP rights at the local level. 

Barba said IPOPHL met recently with Makati City government representatives and is planning to soon meet with San Juan City government representatives to address long-standing issues of its Greenhills Mall, which was again flagged in the United States Trades Representatives’ Notorious Markets List 2021.

“We are also establishing stronger coordination processes with these LGUS. With an early notification and more information, the NCIPR can better prevent these illegal goods from getting into the hands of consumers and help IP right holders take action against violators,” Barba added.

The 2021 haul is also higher by 110% than the P9.8 billion in 2020, showing a return to normal of raid operations and search. In 2021, NCIPR secured 324 search warrants compared to only 109 in the previous year.

Based on initial reports, cigarettes and alcohol made up the bulk, followed by handbags and wallets and footwear products. 

The NCIPR is an interagency body that formulates and implements plans and policies, as well as strengthens the protection and enforcement of IP rights in the country.

Aside from IPOPHL, the NCIPR is composed of 13 other members, namely the Department of Trade and Industry; Department of Justice; Department of Information and Communications Technology; Bureau of Customs; Food and Drug Administration; National Bureau of Investigation; Philippine National Police; Optical Media Board; National Book Development Board; Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crime; Department of the Interior and Local Government; National Telecommunications Commission.

Globe is one with the government in intensifying efforts to stamp out scammers and fraudsters as it called on industry stakeholders to strengthen ‘threat intelligence sharing’ initiatives.

Speaking at a meeting with industry players including telcos, banks, and online retail platforms with the National Privacy Commission on Wednesday, Globe is ready to collaborate with other stakeholders to help protect Filipino customers from smishing and other fraudulent activities. Smishing occurs through mobile text messaging in which scammers deceive victims into giving their personal data. Scammers then use this data to take over a victim’s financial accounts.

“At the end of the day, we need to move very swiftly in preventing fraudulent attacks from reaching our customers, and we know we cannot do it alone. We need to improve private sector partnerships on top of what has already been a robust public sector enablement through the National Privacy Commission. Strength in numbers is key,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe’s Chief Information Security Officer.

Globe is a pioneer in partnering with major universal and commercial banks, as well as e-commerce giants Lazada and Shopee, to minimize not just spam but also scams and phishing activities. This ensures the protection of customers within the network. These partner companies report fake numbers, spoofed sender names, and websites.  Globe uses this information to block the mobile numbers in its network immediately, as they are reported. It acts quickly as part of the 24×7 channels and collaborates with other private sector companies.

“Globe fights spam everyday. We reiterate our position that fraud prevention and detection is in Globe’s and our partner-banks and online retailers’ shared legitimate interest as Personal Information Controllers, in order to ensure uninterrupted business operations, and ultimately, to protect our customers. We believe that pursuing fraud detection and prevention, and consequently, deactivating mobile numbers found to be spewing fraudulent messages, without the need of a court order, constitutes legitimate interest and do not override our customers’ fundamental rights and freedoms; rather, our proactive efforts to combat spam and fight fraud uphold these rights and freedoms, enabling them to transact worry-free through our digital channels,” said Atty. Irish Salandanan-Almeida, Globe’s Data Protection Officer.

At the same time, Globe will also comply with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) order to warn customers on dubious text messages.

A text blast will be sent to customers:

“BABALA! Huwag maniwala sa text na diumanoý nag-aalok ng trabaho. Huwag po magbigay ng personal na impormasyon. Ito po ay isang scam.”

Globe cautioned its customers not to respond or engage text messages received involving promos, job offers and other unsolicited products and services. This elaborate scam is likely run by a global crime syndicate, and not unique to the Philippines, as earlier reported.

Globe continues to heighten its anti-spam and anti-scam campaign through a dedicated cybersecurity team that has deactivated 5,670 confirmed spam numbers, and successfully blocked close to 1 billion spam messages so far this year.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/GlobeIcon/videos/268247375349014/

The company’s specialized teams are part of a larger internal Cybersecurity and Data Privacy group that responds to spam complaints and proactively deals with spammers and scammers. Globe terminates and blocks numbers of detected spammers through its systems, including those reported through www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact principles and contributes to 10 UN SDGs.

To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

TCI has earlier anticipated some hiccups due to differences in the underlying network architecture and design of the network infrastructure used by the MSPs. 

A combination of non-technical and technical issues contributed to the birth pains in the implementation of MNP. Among the technical issues that TCI has grappled with and resolved within the first two weeks of the MNP launch on September 30, 2021, include port out rejections, unique subscriber code (USC) generation, enabling portability of Virtual Number Operators (VNOs) and airtime loading. 

New issues that have cropped up after the launch are nearing resolution as well. To the credit of the mobile service providers (MSPs), the respective project teams from DITO, Globe and Smart have collaborated to resolve the issues in the MNP process. A service level agreement (SLA) is also being crafted to streamline the response time governing each critical leg of the MNP process which in turn will improve customer experience and potentially address MNP hesitancy. 

As for market acceptance, we believe in the paramount objective of giving mobile customers the freedom to choose their providers. The MNP supports this objective, so we are leaving it to the customers to determine if they want to change providers or not. 

TCI will continue to work with the MSPs and collaborate with the regulatory bodies to ensure that the true intent of the MNP law is fully implemented and supported. 

The National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC’s) report of improved internet services in the country in recent months has failed to impress Malacañang, which underscored the need for telecommunications firms to strive to be “world-class.”

During an online briefing this week, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba cited test results from third party internet analytics company, Ookla, which showed an improvement in internet speeds in the country.

Cordoba said Ookla’s speed test showed that the fixed download speed in the Philippines was 28.69 mbps in November, this year; and pointed out that this was a 262.7-percent increase compared to the download speed of 7.91 mbps in 2016.

Likewise, the mobile download speed for November, this year hit 18.49 mbps, also an increase by 148.52 percent from only 7.44 mbps in 2016.

Cordoba also said that fixed broadband speed in the Philippines is now ranked 32^nd of 50 countries in Asia; and that mobile broadband speed puts the Philippines at No. 34 in the region.

However, the NTC’s report drew a wry comment from Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr., who said the country’s telecoms companies should strive to make internet speed and services in the Philippines world-class.

“Our countrymen also want what Globe and Smart want and that is to be world-class. Let’s be honest, at number 34 in Asia, I don’t think we are world class,” President Duterte’s mouthpiece said.

Roque did not mince words in saying that connectivity is not a privilege, but “has become a human right” and, as such, telecommunications companies have a responsibility to continue improving its services.

“I think we are one in recognizing that we need to be world-class,” he said, addressing the telecos. “Let us know what you need from the government because what is important is to provide world-class service to Filipinos.”

At the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay online forum, government reported the approval of 2,220 applications to construct common-use towers in response to President Duterte’s order earlier this year to fast-track processes to improve telecommunications in the country.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that “the construction of these common cell sites would help improve internet speed and access in the country by a great deal.”

“Right now we have 22,405 towers all over the country. (The) target is to have 50,000 more cell towers,” said Malaya.

He added that 700 more applications to build common towers are still pending. “The ball is now in the court of the telcos to improve their service,” he said.

In separate statements, Globe and PLDT promised greater strides in 2021 to further improve internet services through bigger investments in telecommunications infrastructure.

“As we have said, the service will continually improve as the rollouts happen. You will see incremental increases. In 2021, that would be felt even more because the builds of Globe and PLDT will expand,” said Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu.

For his part, PLDT Chief Revenue Officer and Smart President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said: “We are putting a lot of budget on infrastructure. It has also been my focus to improve customer care and experience. It’s a task that we need to do and we will for sure commit to do.”