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Philippines' Cybercrime Law Makes SOPA Look Reasonable
silentbrad writes with this report from Forbes: "The dark days of SOPA and PIPA are behind the U.S., at least temporarily, as copyright tycoons reground and restrategize, attempting to come up with measures that don't cause the entire internet to shut down in protest. But one country has already moved ahead with similar legislation. The government of the Philippines has passed the Cybercrime Prevention Act, which on the surface, as usual, sounds perfectly well-intentioned. But when you read the actual contents of what's been deemed 'cybercrime,' SOPA's proposed censorship sounds downright lax by comparison. Yes, there's the usual hacking, cracking, identity theft and spamming, which most of us can agree should be illegal. But there's also cybersex, pornography, file-sharing (SOPA's main target), and the most controversial provision, online libel." At least it doesn't mention blasphemy.
Will the USA extradite?
I mean, seriously, cut the telecom lines that run to/from the Philippines so they have "Philippine-net" and not Internet. Let them see what a fully censored internet looks like.
The Philippines don't look so good as a place to locate a data haven anymore.
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Now that all of these bad things are illegal, nobody will ever do it again.
One might like an "almost".
Japan, The Philippines, etc... are testing grounds for the global MAFIAA. That's where they drop their legal bombs and observe how far they can take the general populace. Should they succeed there, they'll implement the same laws elsewhere.
cpghost at Cordula's Web.
Both are plain bad. Just because one is far worst than the other, it doesn't make the latter look better, much less reasonable.
So this is also an attempt to enforce morality?
Wow, the Philippines is sounding pretty regressive.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Don't be a mouthpiece for the "lull people into a false sense of security" department of the MPAA, even in passing. SOPA and PIPA are merely letters for a conspiracy that hasn't for a moment stopped trying to kill freedom of speech online.
They're behind this law in the Philippines, and they're at this very moment buying politicians to get SOPA and PIPA passed again as different letters.
Don't even reference their lies in passing. They are out to screw us all over.
I'm not sure that "most of us can agree [that these] should be illegal". Trying to outlaw that is usually accompanied by banning essential security tools like nmap, wireshark etc., tools that some of us actually need for "peaceful" purposes.
That it doesn't matterif your country is; a democracy, republic, parlamentary monarchy, monarchy, dictatorship, or theocracy.
No one in power has ever liked the free flow of information, nor the good but not perfect ability to be aynonomus that the internet provides. And all of them if they could would shut it down?
Assuming their assumptions are true then they'd be sending more millions into heaven than say the more atheistic but low reproducing and low death rate countries.
Based on the ones I've met they do seem a fairly cheerful bunch.
Yep, a country that is so Catholic that prayers are broadcast in malls and yet people still have superstitions about witches and curses... Yes the Philippines is definitely a very backward country where you can spend $20 to have your way with a 'spinner' while watching people walk to mass outside your window...
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Overton_window
US politicians are now practicing the phrase "This bill has more privacy protection than the Philippines...".
Can someone justify why the "libel" section is the most controversial?
I really can't understand how anyone would want to protect peoples right to lie about others and destroy their reputation.
-1 Uncomfortable Truth
Wut? So if I put the diss on a philipino I'll be arrested or slapped with a fine if I go there on vacation? On the other hand if I don't go there, I can insult philipinos all I want, and they wont be allowed to retaliate?
RELEASE THE TROLLS!
Now I wont be able to see sexy Philippine sex shows on Imlive.com
My world has come to an end!!!!
This law is a first step in setting up a new dictatorship. A dictator must be able to control what people can talk about and this legislation will give an evil president the tools to enslave her people.
Before anyone overreacts, keep in mind that this is being challenged. Multiple petitioners have filed against it: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/276301/scitech/technology/petitioners-seek-tro-vs-cybercrime-prevention-act http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/top-stories/32459-more-petitions-vs-cybercrime-law-filed).
Also, the country's journalism community was part of that filing: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/10/03/journalists-rights-center-file-opposition-cybercrime-law-246154
Some legislators have voiced concerns about it: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2012/10/03/davao-lawyers-want-cybercrime-law-reviewed-246097 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2012/10/02/cebuano-legislators-back-calls-amend-cybercrime-law-245887
And if they're on the ball, the nation's version of the ACLU - the Civil Liberties Union of the Philippines - will be weighing in soon. The point is that this is not a done deal yet. There's no question that it's an ugly blow, but very few citizens trust the Filipino government with sweeping powers. The only question is what the protesters/challengers endurance is in fighting it.
First they came for the trolls...
However, unlike the USA, where this 18 requirement is exported to countries that have a lower age of consent for this sort of thing, it is only controlling Philipino morality.
See also internet gambling laws in the USA.
Yes, there's the usual hacking, cracking, identity theft and spamming, which most of us can agree should be illegal.
I can't agree on that at all, and especially with overly-broad terms like "hacking" (or even "spamming"). What is "spamming"? Is that any UCE or is that just penis enlargement pills? Because there's lots and lots and LOTS of perfectly legitimate commercial e-mail that one person would consider spam and another person doesn't.
Hacking? What is hacking? Security research? Breaking into systems? What about altering systems that I own to do things they weren't intended to do?
You don't speak for me, Forbes, so your blatant editorializing is not appreciated.
"Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
As of the 1st of October Japan has been in on it too. http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/02/japan-rolls-out-stiff-fines-and-jail-times-for-illegal-downloads/
We'll never make it.......oh! we made it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWf3iJjqYCM&list=FL7kKrE4eTs17mQl7eyvJIOg
What a blatant attempt to fill up their roster of dancers.
Genocide doesn't make murder seem reasonable.
Well if they don't like it, they could always move to New York City and work on a independent horror film.
...SOPA would still look unreasonable, no matter how unreasonable other laws may be.
Speaking of catholic. . . . we're coming up to xmas season. . Which of course means to get prepared and protect yourself against an increased frequency of armed hold-ups, mugging and pick-pocketing events. You see, people (desperately poor people) are stealing from each other so that they'll have some Christmas presents to give their loved ones. . . For a mostly lawless place, we do have some funny laws.
I don't know about libel suits against the traditonal media, which have their own legal teams. "Online" libel produces the same chilling effect as the mass legal action that targets online "copyright" violators. It turns the legal system into a class action suit in reverse. One party is able to sue dozens or even thousands of others.
The idea isn't to "See you in court, honey" but to threaten enough people into submission. After all how many Joe orJane Blows can afford the services of a good lawyer? Or maybe Joe is happily middle-class, but can he afford the hassle of attending a hearing when he's not a corporate hydra but just one person who can only take so many days off from his job before he's fired?
Like SOPA and ACTA, this Orwellian-sounding Cybercrime "Prevention" Act is an omnibus law, a law that regulates many activities that have little in relation to each other. An omnibus law is the easiest way for someone to sneak in some really bad prohibitions among the few good ones.
This is no different from enacting a law that has provisions both for riots and street demonstrations that merely disrupt traffic. To gain support, a proponent of such a law will focus on the anti-riot portion of the law, while playing down the fact that it can also be used on people who are merely holding a demonstration without a permit, which has been held up by red tape.
Does the law have good parts? I'm sure it does. It'll surely save some of the children, even if it damns quite a few adults to jail.
A side effect of having an omnibus law is that it forces the oppositors to focus merely on the worst parts. So maybe the "online" libel part is the worst because it affects the most number of clueless Facebook users? But what about the provisions on online surveillance? Never mind that, let's get rid of the "libel" part first, then we can think about the online spying, which can be used against those dangerous "terrorists" anyway. One small step for freedom, one giant leap for Big Brother.
Ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno ng pilipinas ay laging may koraps`yon pwedi mong bayaran ang mga kasalanan mo ng pera,akala ko si pangulong Aquino ay maasahan s`ya pagdating ng ganitong problema....
The government officials are corrupt, you can buy yourself out of trouble. I thought Aquino would be better, then this crap comes up.
I am an American, I just violated your law, come get me and violate my constitutional rights.
Yes I am posting AC.
Yep, a country that is so Catholic that prayers are broadcast in malls and yet people still have superstitions about witches and curses...
You seem to be implying that being catholic means you don't have to be superstitious and believe in witches and curses. Don't you know the bible is full of those? It also has burning bushes, talking donkeys, a man walking on water and, my most favorite superpower, turning water into wine with a prayer (anybody who can do this will have an eternal worshiper in me).