On UNSR Visit, Cybercrimes and Press Freedom: The FMA Digital Rights Roundup (January 1-31, 2024)

UN special rapporteur Khan meets with NPC officials

United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan went Tuesday morning to the National Privacy Commission as part of her official country visit to examine the state of rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the country.

PH assures UNSR Khan of conducive environment for free expression

The Philippine government has assured United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan of its commitment to fostering an environment conducive to free expression, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) said Thursday.

No systematic attack against press, Philippines tells UN expert

The Philippine government denied there was a systematic attack against the press on the first week of United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan‘s visit to the Philippines.

UNSR Khan cites PH’s ‘vibrant, mature’ freedom of expression

In a meeting with Khan on Thursday, DFA Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations Charles Jose presented the country’s track record in enabling civil society organizations and the media to serve as a “strong and important pillar in the country’s democracy.”

NUJP slams gov’t claim of ‘vibrant’ press freedom in Cebu

Members of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) called out the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) for claiming it got a “thumbs up” from United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan during her visit at the Central Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO 7) in Cebu City on Monday, January 29.

NPC chief touts PH initiatives on right to privacy, free expression

The head of the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Tuesday touted the agency’s initiatives on the right to privacy and protection of personal information in the Philippines during the visit of United Nations Special Rapporteur (UNSR) Irene Khan.

PNP reiterates warning in using social media

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday reiterated its call to the public to be circumspect when posting or sharing information on social media. The call comes after the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group nabbed 143 individuals since the start of the year, including popular vloggers.

Mayor Binay plans to have 400 ‘smart classrooms’ in 2024

Makati Mayor Abby Binay on Friday announced plans to convert 400 classrooms into “smart classrooms” within 2024 in an effort to provide quality education to students. Binay said that the smart classrooms will have interactive whiteboards, notebook tablets, and unlimited internet access.

SMNI suspension suppression of press freedom – Roque

FORMER palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the cease-and-desist order issued to Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) is an “outright suppression of the press freedom.”

Media security chief gets flak for ‘red-tagging’

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), a press freedom watchdog, has called out the head of the government’s media security body for saying a detained community journalist was active in the armed communist rebellion — a practice known as red-tagging.

Solon wants penalty of imprisonment in libel cases abolished

A measure seeking to remove the penalty of imprisonment in libel cases against journalists has been refiled in the Senate.

More than 500 journalists jailed around the world – RSF

A new year may have arrived, but the tide has not yet turned for at least 547 journalists — including a Filipino reporter — around the world who remain in prison for doing their job.

State of human rights in PH improves under PBBM admin

 International watchdogs such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) observed the improving state of human rights in the country, citing Marcos’ “stark contrast to the unabashedly anti-rights positions” of his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

PH must adopt ‘whole-of-society approach’ to cybersecurity

There is a need for the Philippines to institute and adopt a “whole-of-society approach” to ensure that the country’s economic and national defense systems are capable of weathering any cyberattacks. International think tank Stratbase ADR Institute (ADRI) president, Professor Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit made this remark ahead of its two-day conference titled “Fortifying Cyber Cooperation Towards Digital Security”, slated Jan. 16 to 17 in Makati City.

CNN Philippines to stop operations January 31

CNN Philippines is set to shut down its operations starting Wednesday, January 31, due to “significant” financial losses reported in the past years, its operator Nine Media Corp. (NMC) announced Monday.

Policies limiting PH digitalization

Digitalization in the Philippines is hampered by outdated policies, and comprehensive reforms are needed to address infrastructure and other issues, the World Bank said.

PNP eyes stronger anti-cybercrime drive in 2024

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda on Wednesday ordered all police regional offices to strengthen their campaign against cybercrimes.

TikTok removes nearly 4 million videos in PH due to violations

Social media platform TikTok on Thursday said it has removed 3.8 million videos from its platform in the Philippines due to various violations in the third quarter of 2023 due to violations of community guidelines.

Cyber attacks up nearly 9,000% in 2023 – PLDT, Smart

PLDT and Smart said cyber attacks against them spiked nearly 9,000 percent to 16 billion in 2023 from 182 million in 2022.

Card fraud most rampant cybercrime in PH

Card-not-present fraud is the most common cyber incident in the country, increasing the urgency for the passage of a bill that would prohibit and punish digital financial crimes, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

Another data leak hits PhilHealth

Bugs or coding errors, not cyber hackers, caused glitches that hit the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)’s website over the weekend, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for cybersecurity, connectivity and upskilling Jeffrey Ian Dy said yesterday.

PBBM reorganizes NICA, forms office for cyber, emerging threats

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reorganized the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) to beef up its intelligence gathering and analysis to ensure national security and promote national interest.

CICC to online platforms: Use AI to combat cybercrimes

An official of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Wednesday called on social media platforms and other online service providers to use artificial intelligence (AI) to combat cybercrimes such as scams.

Philippines strengthens cybersecurity with first major conference of 2024

In a significant move to bolster cybersecurity in the Philippines, the Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Manila, has organized a two-day conference titled “Fortifying Cyber Cooperation Towards Digital Security.” This event is the country’s first major cybersecurity conference of 2024, marking a crucial step in addressing digital security challenges.

Solon vows to continue protecting press freedom vs. disinformation

A senator reiterated on Tuesday his commitment to address disinformation that continues to affect press freedom.

Mis/disinformation tagged as No.1 threat to global stability

“The widespread use of misinformation and disinformation, and tools to disseminate it, may undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments. Resulting unrest could range from violent protests and hate crimes to civil confrontation and terrorism,” World Economic Forum said.

DSWD, UN body sign MOU on women, girls’ empowerment

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-Philippines on Tuesday signed an agreement to strengthen collaboration in empowering young girls and adult women, especially those from the most vulnerable populations.

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