Globe strengthens SMS anti-spam efforts

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 71 million spam messages in this year alone.

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 scams. Globe terminates and blocks numbers of detected spammers through its systems, including those reported through www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.

“We take unsolicited and fraudulent messages seriously, and protecting Globe customers from these scams remains a top business priority,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer. He added that since the pandemic started, the company has invested an additional $7.25 million in CAPEX solely to continue enhancing anti-spam capabilities in its network.

Globe has also partnered with major universal and commercial banks, as well as Lazada and Shopee, to minimize not just spam but also scams and phishing activities; ensuring the protection of customers within the network. These partner companies report fake numbers, spoofed sender names, and websites, which Globe in turn blocks in its network immediately, as they are reported.

Globe stressed that, while it is doing what it can to control spam on the network side, there are also tools available to customers on the “device” side. Customers can use the “Messages” app by Google as their default Android SMS messenger for instance, since the app has highly-effective built-in spam filters similar to how a “Google Mail” user may have built-in spam filters.

“Given the ongoing pandemic, many businesses are struggling to get their products across to consumers. This has contributed to a surge in unsolicited marketing campaigns from digital marketers or spammers, who use existing number databases culled from public information or online data,” added Bonifacio.

Globe is fully aware of the inconveniences and related problems that may arise from such text messaging scams, and continues to intensify efforts to create a spam-free experience for all customers.

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.