GLOBE Telecom Inc. wants stronger measures such as site blocking to combat intellectual property violations and online piracy.

It pointed to a YouGov consumer survey that found 70 percent of the Philippine population having consumed pirated content via online streaming this year, up from 58 percent in 2023 and the second highest in the Asia-Pacific.

Vietnam has the highest consumption of pirated content at 71 percent according to the survey, which was commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association's (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy (CAP).

While 92 percent of Filipino respondents said they were aware of the dangers of piracy, including malware risks and harm to local industries, most still heeded the allure of free content.

"This worrying trend highlights the urgency of strengthening enforcement against piracy, which can be done through amending the Intellectual Property Code to enable site blocking," Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly Crisanto said.

"We believe this will go a long way in curbing content piracy, which will in turn support the creative industry and protect our customers from the dangers posed by pirated content," she added.

Globe emphasized the need to boost efforts against piracy, particularly legislation that will institutionalize site blocking.

It said that site-blocking was critical to safeguarding the livelihood of content creators and protecting consumers.