Digital Rights Round-up (January 1 to 31, 2026)
DIGITAL RIGHTS ROUND-UP (January 1 to 31, 2026)
PHILIPPINES EYES MANDATORY SOCIAL MEDIA USER VERIFICATION TO CURB ABUSE
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plans to require all social media users in the Philippines to undergo identity verification, a proposal officials say is meant to curb online abuse, but which has drawn criticism from digital rights and privacy advocates.
GOODBYE TROLLS? DICT MULLS ALL SOCIAL MEDIA USERS TO BE VERIFIED
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is working on a policy measure that would require all social media platforms in the country to have their users verified in a bid to strengthen regulation and accountability in cyberspace.
DICT: SOCIAL MEDIA VERIFICATION LIKELY TO REMAIN VOLUNTARY
Verification of social media accounts will likely remain voluntary, despite the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) plan to release a new policy measure to curb fake news next week.
MARCOS OKS PH’S DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY PLAN FOR CHEAPER, FASTER INTERNET
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the Philippines’ first National Digital Connectivity Plan (NDCP), a strategic framework aimed at accelerating broadband rollout, lowering internet costs, and providing reliable, secure digital access for millions of Filipinos nationwide.
SENATOR: DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY MASTER PLAN GUIDES KONEKTADONG PINOY LAW
Cayetano welcomed the approval of the master plan, saying it aligns with the intent of the Konektadong Pinoy Act, which lapsed into law in August 2025 to modernize the country’s digital framework and expand internet access nationwide.
UNESCO AI READINESS ASSESSMENT REPORT: ANCHORING ETHICS IN AI GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Philippines’ government, have completed the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology – marking a significant step in the Philippines’ ethical AI governance journey. This milestone report is expected to complement the country’s ongoing development of the National AI Strategy for the Philippines and other initiatives to ensure responsible AI governance. Read the report here.
MARCOS JR. LAUNCHES AI LITERACY PROGRAM FOR BASIC EDUCATION STUDENTS
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara launched Project AGAP.AI, a government initiative positioning artificial intelligence literacy as a life skill for Filipino students as the country prepares learners for an increasingly digital and automated world.
PHILIPPINES TO BLOCK AI CHATBOT GROK OVER DEEPFAKES—DICT
The news came hours after social media platform X said it was taking measures to prevent its chatbot from undressing images of real people, including children, amid a growing global backlash and the launch of an investigation in the US state of California.
DICT TO LIFT GROK AI BAN AFTER CORRECTIVE MEASURES
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and its attached agencies are ready to lift the access ban on the artificial intelligence (AI) platform Grok the Philippines once corrective measures are in place against illegal usage of its image generation features.
PHILIPPINE JOURNALIST FOUND “GUILTY” OF FINANCING TERRORISM
Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been found guilty of financing terrorism and sentenced to at least 12 years in jail, in what press freedom groups called a “travesty of justice”. Rights groups had said the charges were fabricated and that Cumpio was red-tagged – labelled a subversive – for her reporting, which criticised the police and military.
3 FILIPINOS AMONG 128 JOURNALISTS KILLED GLOBALLY IN 2025 — IFJ
Three of the 128 journalists and media workers reportedly killed in 2025 were based in the Philippines, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The victims — Juan “Johnny” Dayang, Erwin Labitad Segovia and Noel Bellen Samar — were all shot dead.
PHISHING FROM RISKY URLS NOW TOP DIGITAL THREAT IN PH
Phishing or link-based attacks are now the fastest-growing digital threat in the Philippines, according to data from the Whoscall 2025 Philippines Scam Report. The report, published by Gogolook Philippines — a cybersecurity firm responsible for the anti-scam app Whoscall, found that risky URLs rose from 13,602 in the first quarter to 49,431 by the end of 2025 — an almost four-fold increase.
MAYA BACKS CICC’S SCAM SAFE INITIATIVE, REINFORCES COMMITMENT TO CYBERSECURITY
Maya reaffirmed its support for the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) through the agency’s Scam Safe initiative, supporting efforts to strengthen public awareness and understanding of online scams and cyber fraud.
PNP TO INVEST MORE ON DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM TO IMPROVE COPS’ SKILLS VS CYBERCRIME
The Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed to invest more on digital literacy program for its personnel to further improve their technical capability against cybercrimes, particularly on online financial fraud.
SMS SCAMS DROP 86.6% IN 2025; SCAMMERS SHIFT TO MAKING CALLS —WHOSCALL REPORT
Text or short message service (SMS) scams decreased significantly by 86.6% in 2025, as scammers shifted to call-based scams by impersonating banks and credit issuers, according to a report by caller ID and anti-fraud app Whoscall.
GOVERNMENT TAPS WHITE HAT HACKERS FOR CYBERSECURITY PROTECTION
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will employ the services of white hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, for its Safe Harbor Policy and Bug Bounty Program (SHPBBP), where they will be tasked to infiltrate the digital systems of government agencies to point out security risks and weak spots.
META DATA BREACH EXPOSES MILLIONS OF INSTAGRAM USERS
A new data breach has reportedly exposed the personal information of 17.5 million Instagram users, raising fresh concerns about account security on Meta’s platforms. According to cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, the leaked data includes usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, and other sensitive details.
BRITISH CHAMBER CALLS FOR CONGRESS TO PASS CYBERSECURITY ACT
In an interview, BCCP Executive Vice Chair Chris Nelson said that, “I think it’s very important that the Cybersecurity Act be passed this year. We’ve been advocating strongly for this. The Anti-Financial Scamming Act (AFASA) was passed, and I think passing the Cybersecurity Act will make companies more conscious and increase protection, which is needed not just here but across the world.”
DEPED ALLOCATES P100M FOR AI CENTER
In a Palace briefing, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that DepEd has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to review the curriculum for the new AI center, which is poised to be completed by the first quarter or early second quarter of 2026.
PBBM VOWS TO CREATE ‘HARMONIZED, HUMAN-CENTERED AI ECOSYSTEM’
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday pledged to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to spur economic growth, committing to create a “harmonized and human-centered AI ecosystem” not just in the Philippines but across Southeast Asia.
MOST local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines remain largely unprepared to adopt artificial intelligence, showing low to moderate readiness due to gaps in skills, infrastructure and funding, according to a new study by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies.
YOUTH SEEN AS REAL AI ADVANTAGE FOR EMERGING ECONOMIES
For Rep. Brian Poe (FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-list), without early governance, AI could deepen inequality rather than expand opportunity. He said that young people are already using AI at scale, but institutions are lagging behind — creating a dangerous gap between adoption and preparedness.
POLICE ADOPT NEW PROTOCOLS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA EVIDENCE AFTER SC RULING
The Philippine National Police on Sunday announced it is implementing new protocols in handling social media evidence after the Supreme Court issued guidelines on proving the ownership of online accounts in criminal cases.
DICT EMPOWERS FILIPINOS TO DRIVE HIGH-QUALITY, RESPONSIVE CONNECTIVITY
“Oplan Bantay Signal proves that the voice of every Filipino matters. When the public reports weak signals or slow internet, the government and service providers respond, making connectivity more reliable for everyone—from students and workers to businesses and communities,” said DICT Secretary Henry Aguda.
BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY FOR NATIONAL BUDGET ‘HACK-FREE,’ ‘TAMPER-PROOF’ — DICT
The Department of Information and Communications Technology expressed confidence that the use of blockchain technology for the 2026 national budget is “hack-free” and “tamper-proof”. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the Philippine legislative body is the first in Asia to put its entire national budget on blockchain and the first country in the world with fully on-chain national budget.
DON’T STOP AT GROK, DICT TOLD AS LEWD DEEPFAKES SPREAD
Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago on Saturday said the government’s fragmented response to the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies that are used to generate fake, sexually explicit images, is not enough.
GENDERSCOOP 2026
Elon Musk’s Grok Is Under EU Investigation Over Sexual Deepfakes
The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok on X over its generation and spread of non-consensual sexualized deepfake images, including content potentially involving minors, to see if X met its legal duties under the Digital Services Act.
Lawmaker wants expanded anti-VAWC law amid AI-driven sexual harassment
A Philippine lawmaker is pushing to expand the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) law to explicitly cover AI-driven sexual harassment and the non-consensual use of technology like deepfake imagery, saying current laws don’t adequately address these emerging abuses.
Dutch man faces 10 years jail, psychiatric care for online abuse of Filipino children
A 52-year-old Dutch man is facing up to 10 years in prison and mandatory psychiatric care after being charged with long-term and serious online sexual abuse of young children in the Philippines, involving coercive requests to facilitators there to harm the victims on camera. The case, uncovered through an international investigation, highlights the prosecution’s characterization of these offenses as some of the most serious of their kind, and prosecutors are also seeking restitution measures for victims.
Philippines to restore access to Grok after developer commits to safety fixes
The Philippines has decided to restore access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok after its developer committed to making safety changes and removing problematic image-manipulation features that had raised child safety and deepfake concerns.
Violence against women and children worsening in the Philippines — group
A women’s rights group in the Philippines warned that violence against women and children is worsening, calling it an “epidemic” and urging stronger action to protect vulnerable populations. Reported increases in abuse and continued barriers to reporting highlight the need for more effective prevention and support measures.
Awra Briguela stands up against ‘transphobes,’ bullies
Awra Briguela, a Filipino actor and social media personality, has publicly vowed to stop staying silent and to stand up against online bullies and transphobic critics after years of enduring harassment on social media. She said she’s focusing on her personal growth and will no longer tolerate attacks related to her gender identity and transitioning journey.
UN Women’s op-ed emphasizes that while digital technologies offer opportunities, they have also enabled rising technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF GBV) — such as image-based abuse, cyberstalking, and deepfakes — which disproportionately harms women, girls, and children and reflects broader offline inequalities. The piece highlights Viet Nam’s efforts and partnerships to strengthen laws, digital safety, and support systems to build safer, more inclusive online environments where women and girls can engage without fear.
What our 2025 research revealed about gender equality
Equality Now’s 2025 research found that gender inequality is deeply rooted in discriminatory legal systems worldwide, with laws often failing to address the intersectional nature of violence against women and girls or adapt to new harms like technology-facilitated abuse. The research also showed that while some legal progress was made (for example in child marriage protections), backlash and legal gaps continue to limit justice and meaningful equality for women and girls.
Woman nabbed for alleged exploitation of own children
A woman in Iligan City was arrested for allegedly sexually exploiting her own young children and other minors online after offering her one‑year‑old son for exploitation, leading to the rescue of six victims during a police entrapment operation. The police seized digital evidence and turned the rescued children over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office as the suspect faces charges under child exploitation laws.
2 registered sex offenders denied entry into PH
Two registered sex offenders — a 63‑year‑old Swedish man previously convicted for possession of child pornography and a 52‑year‑old American convicted in Texas for indecency with a minor — were denied entry into the Philippines at airports in Cebu and Manila as part of immigration efforts to protect children. Both were added to the Bureau of Immigration’s blacklist under the #ShieldKids campaign, which uses international cooperation and intelligence sharing to keep individuals with convictions involving moral turpitude out of the country.
The Digital Gender Gap: Why Internet Access is a Safety Issue for Women
Streamline Feed highlights that lack of internet access and smartphone ownership deepens the digital gender gap, leaving many women — especially in rural areas — without crucial tools for safety, economic independence, and help in emergencies. It argues that digital inclusion must be treated as a basic right, paired with digital safety training, to protect women from both offline and online harms as they get connected.
NBI gets 3 vehicles from German Federal Criminal Police
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in the Philippines received three vehicles — a Mitsubishi Montero and two motorcycles — donated by the German Federal Criminal Police to support operations against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. The donation, formalized through a deed of donation, reflects ongoing cooperation between the NBI and German authorities to strengthen efforts in combating child exploitation crimes.
House panel moves to strengthen protection vs. technology-facilitated VAWC
A House panel in the Philippines is pushing amendments to expand the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act to better protect women and children from technology-facilitated abuse, such as online harassment, cyberstalking, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, and other digital harms by explicitly defining and penalizing these acts under the law. The move, backed by lawmakers and advocates, aims to modernize legal protections to reflect how digital platforms are increasingly used to perpetrate violence and ensure stronger accountability and safeguards for victims.
PNP to invest more on digital technology program to improve cops’ skills vs cybercrime
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has announced plans to increase investment in digital technology and literacy programs for its officers to improve their skills in tackling cybercrime and online fraud, reflecting the growing threat of digital offenses. This move aims to better equip law enforcement with the technical know-how needed to investigate and respond to evolving cyber threats and strengthen overall public safety in the digital space.
Fight vs. human trafficking assists 54 survivors in Caraga in 2025 – Philippine News Agency
A Philippine News Agency report says the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Caraga region helped 54 survivors of human trafficking and online sexual abuse last year, providing support and services to assist their recovery. The article highlights ongoing local efforts to address exploitation and protect vulnerable individuals through coordinated care and intervention.
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