Tags: Legislation
By Alexander Villafania
PASAY CITY, METRO MANILA – Spurred by the purported growth in “cyberattacks” in the Philippines, Senator Edgardo Angara is renewing his push for two information and communications technology (ICT) laws.
Senate Bills 2796 or the “Cybercrime Prevention Act” and SB 2965 or the “Data Privacy Act” were already being promoted by Angara last year. He stressed that the passage of such law is necessary as more ICT-related crimes are being perpetrated.
SB 2796 identifies the types of Internet activities that can be considered criminal. These crimes include hacking, infesting PCs with malicious software, online phishing scams, and digital pornography.
It also establishes the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center that should conduct all ICT crime investigations.
Meanwhile, SB 2965 establishes the guidelines that follow global standards in data security, particularly those set by the Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC) Electronics Commerce Steering Group.
The rationale is that following internationally accepted data privacy standards would strengthen the country’s image as a secure location for outsourced services as data sent from offshore locations can be securely stored.
“We are being overtaken by increasingly digital paradigms in information and communications. A large chunk of human activity nowadays is no longer merely physical–it occurs in the Internet.”
“Crime and harm are thus no longer merely physical–they can occur online as well. There is a need for us to innovate security measures and enact laws that will help protect us in the digital world,” Angara said in statement.
Currently, the Philippines has only two Internet-related laws; the 12-year old Republic Act 8792 or the “E-Commerce Act” and the more recent RA 9995, the “Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act” more locally known as “Cyberboso Law.”
Both the Cybercrime Bill and the Data Privacy Bill have been languishing for at least five years, despite numerous attempts to have them passed.
Related stories:
Despite hacks, Philippine cyberspace still ‘safe’ but for how long?
Proponents renew call for Philippine cybercrime bill
Smartphones are next target for cybercriminals
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