Author: Marlet Salazar

Digital natives can never imagine life without the internet. On March 29, 1994, the Philippines officially connected to the digital world. While these brought us closer to the world, constantly plugging in also brought challenges in data privacy and cybersecurity. Records show that on this day at 1:15 a.m., engineer Benjie Tan was working at a PLDT center in Makati. He was trying to establish a live link to a Sprint gateway in California. When the connection finally went through, he sent a quick “ping” to confirm the link was active. With that one successful test, the country was finally…

Wireless earbuds are easy to lose. They slip out, fall under seats, or disappear in the middle of a commute. It’s a small problem, but one that happens often enough to be frustrating. The Shokz OpenFit Pro leans into a different approach to solve that. Instead of going in-ear, the earbuds sit just outside the ear, hooked in place. The design makes them feel more secure, while still letting in ambient sound, which is useful for travel, walking, or workouts. Shokz is also introducing what it calls Open-Ear Noise Reduction, a first for the brand. The system uses three microphones…

The Philippine government has pushed back its deadline for Roblox to respond to safety concerns, giving the gaming platform until April 3, 2026 to talk with regulators or face a possible nationwide ban. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) earlier considered shortening the response window to 15 days due to what it described as delayed response from the company, but has since allowed more time after Roblox reportedly reached out to authorities. Authorities, led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), are investigating how the platform is allegedly being used to exploit minors, who make up a…

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…