As a sign of protest, please take down your profile pictures and cover photos and change it to a simple black image. NO TO CYBERCRIME LAW ! ...
NO TO CYBERCRIME LAW!
The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 , signed by President Benigno Aquino III on Sep. 12, aims to fight online pornography, hacking, identity theft and spamming following local law enforcement agencies' complaints over the lack of legal tools to combat cybercrime.
However, the law came with tougher legal penalties for Internet defamation, compared to traditional media.
It also allows authorities to collect data from personal user accounts on social media and listen in on voice and video applications such as Skype, without a warrant. Users who post defamatory comments on Facebook or Twitter, for example, could be sentenced to up 12 years in jail.
TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CYBERCRIME LAW
1 – Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Law was passed last September 12, 2012, signed by President Benigno Aquino III. It’s main proponent is Senator Edgardo Angara.
2 - During the bill’s third reading, Sen. Tito Sotto proposed to include Section 19 in the law; one of it’s provisions is “Online Libel”.
3 – Penalty for those who committed crimes via online is one degree higher. While the law is unclear how libel is actually committed over the internet. Double jeopardy is even allowed, meaning you can be charged with libel twice (one for the internet and one for regular publication).
4 – Offense of libel via the Cybercrime Law cover computer systems- this includes cellphones and storage devices as “as any other similar means which may be devised in the future.”
Through this, even ordinary conversations over text, tweets, shares, comments are a target of imposition of the State’s immense powers.
5- Cybercrime Law violates our privacy. On the basis of due cause, the law permits the government to monitor and record real time traffic data. We now have our government watching our activities over the internet. This law also allows the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct data gathering.
6 – In addition to number five, Cybercrime Law violates free speech. Now, the government can take down websites, restrict and block access to computer data by mere prima facie evidence, meaning, it establishes a fact but is not a conclusive evidence of its existence.
7 – By creating a new offense called, “cybercrime through data interference”, this law can be used to attack freedom of expression. Alteration of electronic photos for memes or posters can be punished under this law. Cyberspace is a wide and complex avenue, this law does not state whether “authority” is based on who created it or by mere interest therein.
8 – Non-compliance of the provisions of the Cybercrime Law penalizes anyone, even if the failure to comply is valid. This is equivalent to imprisonment or a fine of Php 100,000.
9 – While six petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of such a law, the SC disregarded the people’s appeal and did not release a temporary restraining order (TRO). Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda defended the Cybercrime Law, “… freedom of expression is not absolute.”
10 – According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, internet freedom is a basic human right - that all people should be allowed to express themselves freely and openly online, without fear of being disconnected.
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