SECOND UNIVERSE. The Internet and the universe inside of it needs to be free.

MANILA, Philippines - For a good number of Internet denizens, January 18 in the US is supposed to be Internet Freedom Day.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) terms this year's celebration as one to remember previous years' fights against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the US. It's also being held to remember Aaron Swartz, the Internet activist who fought for the rights of Internet users in a number of ways.

While the date may not have much significance for Filipinos yet, it may be important to remember January 18 as Internet Freedom Day for the Philippines simply because we need a day to remember how the Internet, and the pursuit of Internet freedom, goes beyond our immediate spheres.

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM. The oral arguments against the Cybercrime Law are one facet of a world-spanning issue.

On Philippine shores

In the Philippine context, one major point of interest when it comes to Internet freedom is the way legislation is being done to protect people's interests, both in terms of protecting intellectual property and stopping libelous or hateful statements from becoming commonplace online.

On the one hand, there is the Cybercrime Law, RA 10175, which some have described as having certain deficiencies currently being brought up in argumentation. It also has a dubious backstory, one of online bullying of a senator or hearty dissent against his views, depending on whom you ask. The deficiencies and the hazy backstory cloud the perception of the law's effectiveness and intent.

The current alternative is something called the Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom (MCPIF), otherwise known as Senate Bill 3327. This was filed by Sen Miriam Defensor-Santiago in November 2012 and is a more citizen-friendly bill that hopes to be passed in place of the Cybercrime Law.

What's notable about the MCPIF is that it makes provisions that specifically address deficiencies in RA 10175, such as protecting the right for the freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

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Internet freedom and the universe online