![[Privacy.PH] CCTV Systems and Data Protection](https://fma.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-18-at-2.52.00 PM.png)
Like it or not, closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) have become a ubiquitous presence in modern cities. As CCTVs record daily public activity, they help monitor crimes and illegal activities, providing a sense of security among citizens. But as much as it can reassure a community’s safety, it can also put them […]
Ipinasa ang Philippine Identification System Act, o PhilSys Act, noong 2018 na may layuning padaliin ang pagbibigay-serbisyo sa publiko at iba pang transaksyon na nangangailangan ng patunay ng pagkakakilanlan. Ngunit anim na taon ang lumipas mula nang maisabatas ito at tatlong taon mula nang buksan ang pagrehistro sa publiko, maraming […]
As the Pacific region is rapidly digitizing and embracing digital transformation, the newly available technology can empower Pacific citizens with greater access to information and networks. However, there is a lack of global and Pacific governance standards and norms on the digital economy and digital transformation. Digital governance encompasses…
The public’s concerns about the mandatory SIM card registration’s pitfalls immediately surfaced soon after it took effect. Technical glitches marred the first days of its rollout, while news of data breaches in government agencies cast further doubt over the law’s effectivity. As the mandatory registration continues despite severa…
The Philippines is yet again exploring legislation which would require people to link their national identity card or passport to register a SIM card. After similar laws were squashed in shocking fashion earlier this year, new bills are enjoying renewed support from a number of influential groups in the country. […]
Oh no! Nandito na ang INVADER SIM Katakut-takot na personal data? Jackpot sa hackers yan. At pano na ang anonymity? Pano na ang alte— este, kpop stan accounts mo? Pano na ang mga kapatid nating LGBTQIA na nakasalalay ang kaligtasan sa kalayaang lumikha ng sariling identity online? Tignan ang komiks […]
Mandatory SIM card registration poses risks to multiple fundamental human rights. Among others, it will mandate people to register their social media accounts. Most notably, freedom of expression, as well as the protection that anonymity gives to journalists, activists, human rights defenders, whistleblowers, and government critics, will be a…
A Pandemic as Vector for State Surveillance and Other Abuses This comprehensive report documents and analyzes various initiatives introduced by the Philippine government during this public health crisis, particularly those that significantly impact privacy and data protection. Publication date: September 2021 DOWNLOAD: A Pandemic as Vector for Stat…
Module 4 – Basic Digital Security https://youtu.be/Utj3opH1yPg Introduction Now that you’ve learned about the right to privacy, as well as the basics of data protection, it’s time to learn about one of the most practical ways to protect the privacy of your personal and organizational data: digital security. Digital security […]
Module 3 – Emerging Trends and Issues on Privacy Introduction By this time, you are now armed with a basic understanding of the concepts of Privacy and Data Protection, as well as the key elements of the Philippines’s Data Privacy Act. This is crucial for this next discussion, which will […]
Module 2 – Introduction to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 Introduction Who are you? As individuals we are identified based on information that relates to us. We have our names, date of birth, addresses, photographs, identification cards, educational, employment and health records, and the list goes on. The government […]
Module 1 – Introduction to Privacy and Data Protection Introduction A proper appreciation of privacy—how it is defined and sometimes classified, as well as how it evolved into a modern-day social concern—is critical for anyone seeking to understand current data protection (or data privacy) policies and practices here in the […]
EXPOSÉ is an online publication of the Foundation for Media Alternatives that aims to take on current privacy and data protection issues and events in the Philippine context. In this maiden issue, privacy and data protection issues surfaced or highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic take center stage. Publication date: […]
08 July 2020 The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Department of Health (DOH) Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Multisys Technology Corporation (Multisys) World Health Organization (WHO) Open letter to request for strong user privacy protections in the Philippines’…
Big Data is a breakthrough technology for a lot of companies. It has allowed them to facilitate the real-time processing of massive data sets they have collected from various sources in order to significantly enhance their businesses. A major contributing factor has been the development of tools and techniques (e.g., […]
Data privacy may be described as the right of an individual to be free from any unauthorized use or access of his or her personal information. This is achieved via a variety of documentary, physical, and/or technical means. To ensure that data privacy is upheld in any given organization, there […]
The exfiltration of several databases of the Commission on Election (Comelec) via its website two years ago remains as the biggest data breach in Philippine history. The incident involved at least 340 GB worth of stolen data, pertaining to around 77 million Filipinos. To many, that event is still famously […]
On Wednesday, February 28 2018, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) released a briefing paper on the long-standing effort by government to establish a national ID system in the Philippines. The paper, entitled “The National ID Debate: Is the Philippines Ready?” presents the much-touted benefits of an identity management scheme […]
Proposals for a national SIM card registry have been making significant strides in Philippine Congress. Below is a helpful infographic on some of the risks discussed in the paper:
Popular ride-hailing app Uber recently admitted concealing a massive data breach in 2016 that affected up to 57 million of its users (drivers and riders), including Filipinos. While its full extent remains unclear today, the breach and the dearth of information surrounding it should be a proper cause for concern. […]
The Foundation for Media Alternatives has successfully conducted its first Privacy and Data Protection Workshop for Civil Society and the Academe in Cebu City. The workshop ran from October 26 to 27, 2017 and was attended by around 20 participants from various civil society organizations and universities in the Visayas. […]
This article was originally published on 21 August 2017 as a blog entry at Newsbytes Philippines. For years now, legislators and law enforcement agencies, with support from the executive branch, consistently push for a mandatory SIM card registration in the country. In this Congress, proposals pending at the House of […]
11 July 2017 Foundation for Media Alternatives’ statement on a national ID system Officials of the Department of Finance made headlines recently with the pronouncement that the government plans to earmark PhP2 billion for the implementation of a national ID system next year. Together with their peers in the […]
In March 2016, the Philippines took global headlines by storm when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) website was breached and several voters’ databases were leaked online. The breach, popularly referred to as COMELeak, is now known to be one of the biggest government-related breaches in world history as it involved […]
Last week was a busy one for the newly established Department of Information and Communications Technology, as two of its attached agencies organized the first National Data Privacy Summit and the Cybersecurity Summit separately. The National Privacy Commission convened the first ever national data privacy summit on December 5-6, 2016 at […]
Foundation for Media Alternatives, in partnership with the Commission on Human Rights and with the cooperation of the National Privacy Commission and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, conducted its third national workshop on surveillance on 18 November 2016 at the DICT AVR. Entitled TIKTIK 3.0: Rise of a Philippine [&hel…
The National Privacy Commission has issued two Memorandum Circulars (MCs) this week, the first since the body was formed earlier in 2016. The first circular, MC No. 16-001, is on the Security of Personal Data in Government. The Circular applies to all government agencies engaged in the processing of personal […]
Last March 2016, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) fell victim to what is now known as one of the biggest government-related breaches in history. This hack on the COMELEC database leaked the personal information of approximately 55 million registered Filipino voters. The incident soon caused widespread concern and public outrage, prompting FMA …
[PRESS RELEASE] The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act (DPA) of 2012 was officially submitted to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) for publication on the Official Gazette by the National Privacy Commission (NPC) after several months of public consultations nationwide with various stakeh…
Photo from the Cebu consultation on the DPA IRR courtesy of: HealthInformatics, Inc. The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has submitted for publication the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act No. 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012. Download a copy of the final version promulgated on 24 […]
After being appointed in March this year, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) held several rounds of public consultations on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA). Following a successful, albeit brief consultation during a Philippine Computer Society meeting on June […]
FMA, in cooperation with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) is co-sponsoring public consultations in Manila and Davao City on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act. On July 13, the consultation will be held at Room 301, ISSI, UP Diliman from 8:00 am to 5:00 […]
On 13 July 2016, FMA will be sponsoring a Public Consultation on the Draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Data Privacy Act with the National Privacy Commission. The Consultation will be held at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, at 8 AM to 5 PM. Apart […]
With a history immersed in years of colonialism and tainted by martial law, Philippine society is no stranger to surveillance. Even now, tales of past regimes tracking their citizens’ every move find their way into people’s everyday conversations. This, for the most part, has kept Filipinos vigilant over their hard-earned […]
COMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE The Philippines has a total population of over 100 million people[1] and was estimated to reach 101.6 million in 2015. The country had a national internet penetration figure of around 40 % in 2014.[2] Overall, 45 million people are active Internet users,[3] while 32 million are active mobile internet users.[4] The country r…
Some time last year, news broke out that U.S. telecommunications giant, AT&T, had suffered a major data breach resulting in unlawful third-party access to its customer records. Estimates put the number of people affected at over 280,000 in total.[1] Sensitive personal information like social security numbers were among the primary […]
MANILA, Philippines — “There are equally important public values that must be balanced in this forum: national security, privacy, freedom of the press, and the public’s right to know.” Malou Mangahas, Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), shared this sentiment as she spoke before an audience […]