Here’s what you need to know this week: As the Senate approves on third and final reading the Anti-Terror Bill (formally titled An Act to Prevent, Prohibit, and Penalize Terrorism, Thereby Repealing Republic Act No. 9372, also known as the ‘Human Security Act of 2007’), various groups protest anew its Read more…
The Foundation for Media Alternatives expresses grave concerns over the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for the purpose of conducting surveillance activities. On Monday, February 3, former DICT Undersecretary Eliseo Rio, Jr. confirmed his resignation from the agency, citing the lack Read more…
On December 11, 2019, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared before the United Nations ICJ (International Court of Justice) to present the Myanmar government’s defense against charges of genocide against the Muslim Rohingya minority group. As Suu Kyi was presenting her testimony at the Hague, another discussion on human Read more…
Together with Privacy International and over 50 other organizations from all over the world, FMA signed the letter below, addressed to Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai, asking Google to take action against exploitative pre-installed software on Android devices. You can add your voice to this campaign by signing the petition Read more…
This article was written by Jose Antonio Medrano, an intern at FMA under Global Affairs Canada’s International Youth Internship Program. Digital applications are becoming ever more ubiquitous in today’s society. These apps are used not only for entertainment purposes, but also as a way to increase productivity and even to Read more…
Here’s what you need to know this week: The Philippines is slated to investigate ‘deepfakes’ and how they may affect perceptions of truth, history, and reality, via a resolution filed by Sen. Ralph Recto urging to probe the phenomenon. A ‘deepfake’ is a combination of the words “deep learning” and Read more…
Upon coming home, she started two businesses in her hometown — a computer shop and a bakery — with all the hard-earned money she saved for almost two decades. Both businesses were eventually ravished by typhoons. Choosing to stay with her kids instead of going back to the Middle East, Read more…
For one thing, these rights are protected by international and Philippine human rights law. But that isn’t the only reason. In fact, there’s a very strong business case for respecting them. Unfortunately, this message hasn’t been cutting through. Many businesses remain in the dark about the advantages of respecting privacy Read more…
Every year, Freedom House publishes assessments on global internet freedom. This year, the report is titled “The Crisis of Social Media,” highlighting how social media spaces have been exploited due to lack of regulations in terms of their susceptibility to be utilized as tools for “political distortion and social control.” Read more…
Here’s what you need to know this week: Social networking platform Twitter will ban political ads in its platform starting Nov. 22, according to its CEO Jack Dorsey. The decision in sharp contrast to Facebook’s stance on political ads. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a recent US Congressional hearing, stated Read more…