The Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU) condemned Department of Information and Communication Technology’s (DICT) proposal to revive its old plan requiring registration of all social media accounts.
The group said the plan poses significant risk to citizens’ privacy and may again be used to violate the people’s freedom of expression.
“[T]his policy passes the burden of digital security to the users instead of holding platforms accountable and regulated, and claims to help reduce cases of scams and cybercrimes,” CPU said.
As proven by the SIM (subscriber identity module) Registration Law (Republic Act No. 11934), there is no historical or logical evidence that arbitrarily removing everyone’s right to privacy in online spaces will reduce cybercrime, the group pointed out.
“Cybercrimes require specific solutions including better protection of personal data and more robust social media platform regulation,” CPU said.
Instead, requiring social media registration will lead to the same failures that RA 11934 has been criticized for: failure to address cybercrime and to be of any use to Filipinos, it added.
In an announcement last week, DICT said there are ongoing discussions on the proposed measure with social media companies and other stakeholders, “to ensure that all sides will be heard before implementing such policy.”
DICT Undersecretary Sarah Sison the proposal aims to provide security and protection of children and other vulnerable sectors.
DICT added that if social media users are verified, it would be easier to trace if they commit offenses or cybercrimes on social media.
“We are cognizant of the fact that there are a lot of issues involved in terms of the right to freedom of speech, right to express their thoughts,” Sison acknowledged.
CPU however rejected DICT’s justifications, saying such a policy would in fact violate social media users’ privacy, a necessary condition for a people’s freedom of expression.
“Anonymity provides individuals and groups a safe space online to hold their opinions without arbitrary and targeted interference or coercion,” the advocates said.
“We can anticipate that with social media registration, the government under (President Ferdinand) Marcos Jr. will weaponize this law to target critics voicing out opinions online, as it has already done in the past,” CPU said.
It also pointed out that the DICT would pass on additional burden to people who have difficulty securing valid IDs, such as those in rural areas, as what happened with the much-criticized SIM registration law.
“The policy will make it more difficult for millions of Filipinos to access vital communication services, and will only worsen the digital divide in our country,” the group said.
CPU reminded DICT that the SIM Registration Law only encouraged the proliferation of black-market “pre-registered” accounts for sale, rendering it pointless and a burden to the people.
AGHAM-Advocates of Science and Technology for the People joined CPU in opposing the plan, along with Foundation for Media Alternatives that earlier voiced its disagreement with the proposal. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
