Cybercrime law mars PH net freedom – global report

'RESTRICTIVE, NOTORIOUS.' This is how Freedom House describes the anti-cybercrime law, which it said marred the Philippines' "excellent" Internet freedom record. File photo by Hoang Vu

MANILA, Philippines The Philippines has the freest Internet in Southeast Asia, but the passage of the controversial anti-cybercrime law marred its excellent record.

A report of US-based Freedom House said Internet freedom in the Philippines slightly declined primarily because of the law passed last year.

The Philippines retained its free status the only Southeast Asian country in the category but its "freedom on the net score" dropped from 23 last year to 25 in this year's report.

In its Freedom on the Net 2013 report, Freedom House called the Cybercrime Prevention Act notorious, restrictive, and punitive.

In this years most significant development, the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act was passed into law in September, threatening to infringe on the Philippines otherwise open online environment by introducing content restrictions that even a government lawyer admitted are unconstitutional, said the report released on Thursday, October 3.

The report noted that the law allows authorities to block online content without a warrant, facilitate government surveillance, and punish online libel with up to 12 years imprisonment.

People in the Philippines enjoy nearly unrestricted access to the Internet . This excellent record was marred in September 2012 by the passage of an anti-cybercrime law boosting official powers to censor and monitor Internet users without judicial oversight.

The implementation of the law is put on hold after the Supreme Court indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order (TRO). Fifteen petitions were filed against the anti-cybercrime law.

Various petitioners bloggers, netizens, human rights groups, journalists, political parties, lawyers, and members of the academe said the law violates freedom of expression and freedom of speech, and gives the government too much power over Internet users. Rappler was among the groups that took a stand against the law.

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Cybercrime law mars PH net freedom – global report