News Blog
FMA signs joint statement on WMW-Pilipinas’ International Women’s Day 2020
Women Occupy Spaces sit down strike on Sunday, March 8, as the world celebrates International Women’s Day #IWD2020
Gender-Based Violence
How do we fight online gender-based violence in the Philippines?
Technology-related abuses in the Philippines makes online safety all the more paramount in securing a safe digital space for women, as reflected in Take Back the Tech Philippines’ 2019 report. From social media ‘trolls’ barbarizing women sharing dissent online and apps utilised to commodify women, moves targeting women’s civil liberties Read more
ICT in the Philippines
The anti-terror bill, TikTok, cyberlibel: The FMA Digital Rights Report
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
News Blog
[FMA Statement] Rights group expresses concern over reported anomalous DICT disbursements
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
News Blog
Shackles and chains: Conversations on online freedoms in Southeast Asia
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
News Blog
FMA signs open letter to Google on the exploitative practices of pre-installed apps
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
News Blog
The fault in our apps: How to deal with our digital dilemmas
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
ICT in the Philippines
Deepfakes, surveillance, ‘revenge porn’: The FMA Digital Rights Report
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
ICT in the Philippines
Cleaning ladies on-demand: Reflections on the platform economy in the Philippines
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
News Blog
For tech SMEs, a guide to respecting privacy and free expression in the workplace
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