Digital Rights Report 2025

2025 was a pivotal year for the Philippines’ digital landscape. Efforts were made to expand connectivity,  including initiatives under the Konektadong Pinoy Act and broader campaigns for digital inclusion, aimed at reducing long-standing gaps in internet access. These developments promised greater participation in education, employment, and public life, particularly for remote communities previously left offline.

The scale of digital connectivity in the Philippines reveals how deeply embedded technology has become in everyday life, and how expansive the terrain of digital rights struggles has grown. As of the beginning of 2025, the country recorded 142 million cellular mobile connections, reflecting an increase of 17 million connections (13.4 percent) from the start of 2024. This is equivalent to 122 percent of the total Philippine population, underscoring the prevalence of multi-SIM ownership and the centrality of mobile technology as Filipinos’ primary gateway to the digital sphere. This connectivity is matched by widespread internet and social media use: 97.5 million Filipinos were internet users as of January 2025, representing 83.8 percent of the total population, while 90.8 million active social media user identities accounted for 78 percent of the population. More significantly, 93.1 percent of internet users in the country used at least two social media platforms, highlighting the extent to which digital platforms shape how Filipinos communicate, access information, organize, and participate in public discourse.

Yet we are faced with a surge in digital threats. Cyberattacks, data breaches, deepfake scams, and identity-theft incidents rose sharply throughout the year, exposing millions of user credentials. The Philippines consistently ranked among the world’s most targeted countries for cyberattacks, with law enforcement reporting thousands of intrusion attempts each day. These incidents exposed weaknesses in cybersecurity infrastructure and highlighted the urgent need for stronger privacy protections, digital literacy programs, and institutional preparedness.

Landmark victories such as the Bulatlat vs National Telecommunications Office censorship case and ranking 116/180 in the RSF World Press Freedom Ranking, signaled hope for press freedom.  However, while the government pursued stronger cybersecurity laws and international cooperation mechanisms, advocates from civil society warned that gaps in transparency, oversight, and due process risked normalizing surveillance or suppressing online expression. The expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in content moderation, security operations, and public information campaigns added layers of concern.

In addition, instances of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) became more visible and continued to disproportionately affect women and LGBTQ+ internet users. In 2025, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) mapped (93) cases of TFGBV, contributing to a total of 829 cases since 2012. Civil-society groups highlighted how unequal access to safety tools, reporting mechanisms, and support services leaves many vulnerable, even as digital platforms become increasingly central to daily life.

Together, these developments paint a picture of a society at the crossroads of the promises and perils of rapid digitalization. The Philippines in 2025 confronted the reality that digital rights are inseparable from broader struggles for equity, accountability, and democratic participation. As the Philippines continues to advance in the tech sector, so too must the country’s commitment to safeguarding privacy, strengthening cybersecurity, protecting marginalized communities, and defending free expression.