On press freedom, elections, and womens’ rights: The FMA Digital Rights Round-up (April 1-30, 2025)
POLL BETS URGED TO PUSH FOR POLICIES TO PROMOTE PRESS FREEDOM, DIGITAL RIGHTS
Digital rights advocacy organization Foundation for Media Alternatives on Wednesday released a 10-point digital rights electoral agenda to address the “rapid transformation and integration of digital technologies in our daily lives.” According to FMA Executive Director Lisa Garcia, “current digitalization efforts of the government should go hand-in-hand with policies to promote, protect, and fulfill the rights of its citizens in all spaces including the digital space.”
NICA: 234 DATA BREACHES MONITORED IN ‘HIGH-LEVEL’ GOV’T AGENCIES
Apart from this, 32 agencies’ sensitive information was exposed on the dark web, and 91 credentials, which he explained to be “basically passwords,” were compromised.
PH, BERMUDA SIGN ACCORD ON CROSS-BORDER DATA PROTECTION
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of the Islands of Bermuda (PrivCom) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation on personal data protection and cross-border enforcement.
PUBLIC WARNED: SCAM CALLS ON THE RISE
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) sounded the alarm on the rising number of call scams based on the report of the anti-scam app Whoscall.
PH SEEN BOOSTING CYBERSECURITY WITH DICT REVAMP
During his presentation at the Philippine Press Institute, Dominic Ligot, founder of Data Ethics PH, said cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, are something to watch out for during the midterm elections. “Cybersecurity seems to be something na takot i-report sa media. I know it’s because it is a highly technical issue. As I speak today, a new DICT chief has been appointed,” said Ligot.
PHILIPPINES: STATE-SPONSORED ONLINE HARASSMENT HAS “CHILLING EFFECT” ON YOUNG HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Amnesty International’s first ever youth-led report reveals that online harassment by the Philippine authorities, including the practice of “red-tagging” or labelling individuals as communists, creates a climate of fear that is deterring young human rights defenders from engaging in activism and expressing themselves freely.
PTFOMS ON HIGH ALERT TO PROTECT JOURNOS VS. POLL-RELATED THREATS
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) is on heightened alert in the wake of reported threats and violence against journalists amid the election season.
Building on the momentum of the 2023 National Media Forum—which spotlighted the challenges faced by media practitioners—this initiative seeks to equip journalists with the tools and knowledge necessary to integrate HRBA principles into their reporting, both in traditional and digital platforms.
MEDIA FREEDOM COALITION: ‘FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS DEMOCRACY’
Upholding press freedom is a shared responsibility. When journalists can report the truth without fear, citizens are empowered to make informed choices, hold leaders accountable and participate meaningfully in public life.
‘LIFTING TELCO LEGISLATIVE CHECK TO EXPOSE PHILIPPINES TO CYBER ATTACKS’
The telecommunications sector yesterday said the Philippines may suffer from cyber attacks on a national scale if the government lifts the congressional hurdle for new connectivity players.
PH FIRST AI-READY HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER LAUNCHED IN LAGUNA
As a testament to the government’s effort to bolster digitization and innovation efforts for global competitiveness, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. led the official launch of VITRO Santa Rosa (VSR), the country’s biggest and first artificial intelligence or AI-ready Hyperscale Data Center.
CITIZENWATCH PH OFFICIAL ALARMED OVER SURGE IN ONLINE SCAMS, FRAUD
It also warned that trust in internet services is weakening at a time when the country’s digital economy is rapidly expanding.
BILL ON BETTER INTERNET ACCESS PUSHED
During a policy conference at the UP Law Center on March 28, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, a main author and co-sponsor of the bill, stressed that internet connectivity is a fundamental right that millions of Filipinos have been denied for too long. “This bill is pro-Filipino, pro-consumer, and pro-competition,” he said, explaining that it mandates infrastructure sharing, strengthens consumer protections, and opens the market to new players.
THE PHILIPPINES SEES STEADY GAINS IN INTERNET CONNECTIVITY
With an internet penetration rate of approximately 89% in 2024, most Filipinos rely on their devices to access the web, according to Statista. Recent data from Ookla, a global connectivity intelligence firm, shows that the Philippines ranks 65th globally for mobile internet speeds and 58th for fixed broadband as of February 2025.
COMELEC BLOCKS 75,000 HACKING ATTEMPTS ON ONLINE VOTING SYSTEM
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) was able to block some 75,000 attempts to hack the online system that the poll body is using to implement internet voting for overseas Filipinos, the poll body said on Friday, April 11.
FAKE NEWS LOWERS TRUST IN PH MAINSTREAM MEDIA – SURVEY
Online misinformation is eroding public trust in traditional news sources across the Philippines ahead of the May 12 elections, according to the results of the latest survey by political consultancy firm Publicus Asia.
DICT ENDORSES ONLINE SAFETY POLICY TO FIGHT FAKE NEWS, SCAMS
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is moving forward with a broad policy aimed at stopping fake news, online scams, and other digital threats. The effort, backed by Malacanang, seeks to make the internet safer and more trustworthy for Filipinos.
CYBERCRIME COMPLAINTS SURGE 72% IN 3 MONTHS
Speaking at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines and San Miguel Corp.’s annual business journalism seminar, CICC agent Marco Reyes said there were 3,251 complaints received from January to March this year, up 72 percent from 1,891 complaints during the same period in 2024.
USE OF DIGITAL TOOLS VS. FAKE NEWS, DEEPFAKES PUSHED
An analyst and a national cybersecurity movement underscored the need for Filipinos to detect fake news, deepfakes and scams using free applications (apps) or software as the government and the private sector intensify the fight against fraudulent activities ahead of the May 12 midterm elections.
DICT CRACKS DOWN ON ELECTION TROLL ARMIES, FAKE NEWS ONLINE
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has started a crackdown against fake news and organized ‘troll armies’ on social media to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
META OPEN TO ENGAGE WITH PHILIPPINES IN REGULATING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Meta, the social media giant, expressed its openness to participate in discussions aimed at crafting measures or establishing a regulatory body for social media platforms in the Philippines.
ROMAN WARNS LAW REGULATING FREE SPEECH MAY BE RAISED TO SC
After four grueling House hearings into the proliferation of disinformation on social media, a lawmaker on Tuesday finally addressed the elephant in the room — any attempt of Congress to pass a law to regulate free speech would most likely be challenged before the Supreme Court and probably be “a lost cause.”
HONTIVEROS SLAMS TECH GIANTS OVER SPREAD OF CSAEM MATERIALS ONLINE
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Thursday decried the continued proliferation of child sexual abuse and exploitation materials (CSAEM) online, calling out tech companies for failing to prevent their platforms from being used to advertise and distribute such content.
CHR CENTRAL LUZON LOGS ZERO CASE OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN 2025
While this is a positive development, the agency warns that vigilance remains essential to sustain the region’s progress in protecting women’s rights. CHR 3 Promotion and Advocacy Division Chief Ysobel Maria Rivera stressed that GBV remains a serious issue, and proactive measures must continue.
GENDER RIGHTS GROUP FILES COMPLAINT VS PASIG BET SIA OVER LEWD REMARKS
PANTAY filed a formal complaint against Sia with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday, saying the candidate violated the Safe Spaces Act and Comelec Resolution No. 1116 when he said at a recent sortie that solo mothers may sleep with him once a year.
PH ELEVATES GENDER EQUALITY AGENDA IN UN COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN FEEDBACK FORUM
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through the Office of United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO), along with various government and UN agencies, members of the diplomatic corps and media, and civil society representatives attended the Forum, which reported the salient outcomes of CSW69 with a focus on leveraging global platforms and forging ahead in face of the most pressing issues confronting women today.
COMELEC ORDERS DAVAO DE ORO GOV BET TO EXPLAIN VULGAR REMARKS DURING RALLIES
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a show cause order against Davao de Oro Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Ruwel Peter Gonzaga asking him to explain his comments on women and their private parts during campaign rallies.
CYBER HEROINES: THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN DIGITAL DEFENSE
The 2025 Women in Business report from Grant Thornton International also revealed that in the Philippines, 34.1% of women hold Chief Information Officer roles, while 22.7% are in Chief Technology Officer roles. Emphasizing these statistics, women make up 25.93% of P&A Grant Thornton’s Technology Solutions Group, while 46.15% of women are in Advisory Services’ Technical Consulting Group.
NEGROS ORIENTAL INTENSIFIES MEASURES VS ONLINE SEXUAL ABUSE
The Provincial Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and their Children (PCAT-VAWC) is urging the public to be vigilant against online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC).
GOV’T URGED TO ADDRESS CHILDREN’S ONLINE SEXUAL ABUSE
In the 2022 study of International Justice Mission (IJM) and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab, nearly 500,000 Filipino children were trafficked to produce child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) in that year alone. The number may be higher as the crime is underreported.
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