Just as modern medicine is concerned with disease prevention as well as treating symptoms, when it comes to OSAEC*, technologies can be built to prevent harm before it occurs. With nearly half a million Filipino children exploited to produce CSAM* in 2022 alone, safety-by-design approaches are urgently needed.
"Safety by Design" places user protection alongside privacy and security as essential pillars in technology development. This global best practice emphasizes thoughtful prevention and protection rather than reactive responses.
Examples of safe-by-design prevention measures can be found in Republic Act 11930, punishing Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC). It mandates technology and finance sectors to implement safeguards including CSAM detection, filtering, removal, and reporting.
Philippine law mandates technology and finance sectors to implement safeguards including CSAM detection, filtering, removal, and reporting.
Real progress is already visible in these sectors:
Many content platforms screen uploads against databases of CSAM hashes—digital fingerprints that identify harmful content without human inspection, preventing revictimization and reducing exposure.
The Philippines' two largest ISPs actively block known CSAM content while investing in awareness and education, with formal policy commitments to child protection.
Financial services are beginning to develop systems more capable of detecting OSAEC-related payments for reporting and referral to authorities.
The Philippine Survivor Network is actively advocating for even stronger safety-by-design measures across all sectors.
Challenges remain, particularly in detecting new CSAM creation and livestreaming abuse. The good news is these evolving solutions prove that technology can be built with safety at its core—protecting the most vulnerable individuals first and creating a safer digital world for everyone.
*Acronyms used:
OSAEC - Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children, as defined in Republic Act 11930
CSAM - Child Sexual Abuse Material
