Author: Marlet Salazar

The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunication Operators (PCTO) is urging the government to slow down the rollout of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 12234, as the country faces a national energy emergency, warning that rushing new rules could strain telecom services used by millions of Filipinos. In a statement, the group said it supports the law’s goal of improving internet access nationwide but asked regulators to “take a more measured approach” in implementing its rules. Among the group’s concerns is the pace of public consultations on technical policies such as infrastructure sharing, the “dig once” policy,…

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has placed video game Roblox under strict monitoring, issuing a 30-day ultimatum for the company to address allegations of illegal activities involving Filipino minors. Authorities said the platform, which is popular for both kids and adults, is being exploited by threat actors, including individuals engaged in child exploitation and illicit trade. The agency warned that Roblox’s highly interactive environment may be used to lure minors, shift conversations to private channels, and expose them to harmful or coercive content. “If Roblox fails to respond, we will coordinate with telecommunications companies to implement a ban.…

Amid growing competition from TikTok and YouTube, Meta-owned Facebook is launching Creator Fast Track, a new program that aims to help content creators fast-track growth and earnings on the platform. This new offering promises guaranteed pay and increased reach for eligible reels, the company said in its blog post. The program targets creators who have built followings on other platforms but are starting fresh or rediscovering Facebook. Participants receive three months of guaranteed pay and boosted reach on eligible reels, helping them grow followers faster while joining Facebook Content Monetization. In 2025, Facebook said it paid almost $3 billion to…

Instagram, the social media platform owned by Meta, said it will stop supporting end-to-end encrypted chats starting May 8, 2026. Users who enabled the feature can download messages and media they want to keep. The change affects conversations protected by end-to-end encryption, a security feature that ensures only devices holding the correct cryptographic keys can read messages or access shared media. Once the feature is discontinued, encrypted conversations stored under the system may no longer be accessible. “If you have chats that are impacted by this change, you will see instructions on how you can download any media or messages…

Google is enhancing Google Maps using Google Gemini to add immersive navigation and conversational search.Beyond the existing 3D view, users can now ask Maps for directions, route details, and recommendations for nearby places. The Gemini models analyze real-world imagery from Google Street View and aerial photos in Google’s database. This allows Maps to better understand routes by recognizing details such as streets, buildings, and crosswalks. A feature called Ask Maps enables users to ask questions about where to go. People can search for places such as specialty restaurants or find a workspace for quick tasks without manually looking up nearby…

With organizations in the Philippines showing strong adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), multinational company HP Inc. sees the country as a fast-adoption market in the region. The company also sees potential growth in several industry verticals. “Today, people spend a lot of time managing tasks,” Michael Boyle, senior vice president and managing director for HP Greater Asia, said in an interview. “With AI, we have an opportunity to remove that friction so people can focus more on creating and achieving the outcomes they want.” Boyle added that Filipino organizations and teams have a real appetite “to articulate and implement AI…

CIBAC Party‑list Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva has filed House Bill No. 8262, also called the Social Media Protection for Minors Act, which would prevent anyone under 16 from accessing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube. The bill places the main responsibility on social media companies to enforce the age limit. Platforms would be required to use age‑verification tools, remove accounts suspected to belong to minors, and submit periodic compliance reports. Parents and guardians would also be involved, but the emphasis is on platform accountability rather than solely relying on families. This isn’t the first time lawmakers have proposed…

Consumer electronics brand Xiaomi is expanding its artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) ecosystem in the Philippines with a new lineup of connected devices that includes tablets, mobility products, wearables, and smart accessories designed to work together across everyday scenarios. The new lineup is led by the Xiaomi Pad 8 Series, AI-powered productivity tablets running on Xiaomi HyperOS 3 with system-level intelligence from Xiaomi HyperAI. The tablets anchor a bigger ecosystem that also includes the Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 Series, Xiaomi Watch 5, Xiaomi UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W, Xiaomi Tag, and REDMI Buds 8 Pro, offering users a connected…

The era of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) poses new challenges and risks not only for enterprises but also for end users. Its autonomy opens risks as it may go beyond its intended use if left unmanaged. This is one of the challenges Microsoft Agent 365 hopes to address. With a unified control panel or dashboard, IT security professionals can gain visibility into agents’ activities. This allows them to step in if agents veer away from their intended functions. “Unmanaged agents may create significant risk, from accessing resources unchecked to accumulating excessive privileges and being misused by malicious actors,” Vasu Jakkal,…

Video game Roblox is testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that automatically replaces foul language with more appropriate words during in-game chats, part of the platform’s effort to keep conversations safer for its largely young player base. Instead of simply blocking bad words with “####,” the system can now rewrite the message so the conversation continues without the offensive language. In a sample, Roblox illustrated how it will use the tool: “Hurry TF up,” will be changed to “Hurry up.” “For years, using filters that show up as ##### has been central to how we keep conversations safe and…