Philippine regulators have launched multiple crackdowns on illegal SMS bulk messagers. In 2021, the National Telecommunications Commission ordered e-commerce platforms to remove related products from their shelves, and in 2026, the police intensified efforts to crack down on scattered black market transactions to prevent the devices from being used for harassment, fraud and campaign propaganda.
SMS bulk messagers can send unsolicited bulk text messages to mobile phone users within a range of several kilometers, and only a small number of government agencies are authorized to use them legally. Unlicensed sale, import and use of such devices violate relevant Philippine laws including the data privacy law. On October 13, 2021, the National Telecommunications Commission of the Philippines issued a ban on three major e-commerce platforms — Facebook Marketplace, Lazada and Shopee — requiring them to stop selling SMS bulk messaging devices. The prices of these devices vary widely, ranging from 200,000 to 3 million pesos. At that time, many politicians running in the 2022 general election privately purchased such devices to run campaign ads. After receiving the order, the platforms removed the relevant products, stated that they would regularly screen for non-compliant goods, and their representatives were also required to attend regulatory hearings.
Although the related products have been removed from public channels of e-commerce platforms, the devices have flowed into the underground black market. On May 8, 2026, the Philippine National Police stepped up its crackdown on the "guerrilla-style" illegal trade of SMS bulk messaging devices. Many of these devices come from shut-down offshore gaming operators, are dismantled and then scattered to small criminal gangs, and circulate privately through social networks. The police's Anti-Cybercrime Group conducted entrapment operations and arrested three suspects who sold the devices online in two cities. Such devices can bypass cybersecurity protections to send malicious messages such as fraud. The police will work with the National Telecommunications Commission to carry out synchronized online and offline inspections and law enforcement to curb the further spread of the devices.
