The Philippines' Awful New 'Cybercrime' Law Put On Hold -- For Now

from the a-reprieve-not-a-repeal dept

Tue, Oct 9th 2012 11:51pm — Glyn Moody

Last week Tim Cushing wrote about the hugely-worrying new "cybercrime" law passed in the Philippines that seemed likely to criminalize all kinds of everyday online activities. As an article on Radio Australia's site reports, the Philippines' highest court has now stepped in after being petitioned to block the legislation:

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended a controversial cybercrime law, amid huge online protests over fears it would impose enormous curbs on Internet freedoms.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said a "temporary restraining order" was issued by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Such an order stops Philippine laws from taking effect until further orders from the court, while making no immediate judgement on their legality.

The same article reports on the widespread protests the new law has provoked: Human rights groups, media organisations and netizens have voiced their outrage at the law, with some saying it echoes the curbs on freedoms imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s.

Philippine social media has been alight with protests, while hackers have attacked government websites and petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court calling for it to overturn the law.
It's great to see the Supreme Court recognizing that there might be a problem here, but it's too early to assume victory. The law might still go into operation -- with what looks like dire consequences for the Internet and civil rights in the Philippines.

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Filed Under: cybercrime, philippines

9 Comments

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Violated (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 12:33am

The Beast Awakens
Good news indeed and let us hope the Supreme Court goes all the way strikes this law down.

While the Philippines seems far away from the Western World we should still stand shoulder to shoulder with our Pinoy and Pinay brothers and sisters so that during our days of need they stand with us.

This attack on the Internet is a Global fight and we simply cannot allow countries to fall to such harsh laws to curb our Internet freedoms.
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Mega1987 (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 12:52am

With Miriam Santiago looming around, If there's no changes made in the Cybercrime law, well...
Expect She'll be chewing those nut head senators and the going Neanderthal SC who pushed thru the bill as if they were placed inside a meat grinder.
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Zakida Paul (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 1:54am

Small victories, let's hope we can keep up the pressure and kill it off for good.
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Ninja (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 4:07am

Epic win for the Philippines (how do you call people that live there?). And people still downplay the importance of the intertubes in recent social movements..

Wait, it must be Google's fault. Call the bob army!
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khan, 10 Oct 2012 @ 6:37am

That`s the great achievement of Philippines and such efforts keep up the pressure and kill it off for good
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2012 @ 6:54am

It is important to note that so much opposition to these bills are coming from countries that were recently under authoritarian regimes, such as Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship for the Philippines, or the former Warsaw Pact countries like Poland for ACTA. They have lived through these types of measures within their lifetimes, and don't want to go back. How insane must they think we are, that during the Cold War we advocated for freedoms and rights, yet we now wish to put them under another authoritarian boot.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2012 @ 4:06pm

Oh come on, you just don't want to support Copyrights getting enforced! Think of the children! And the cats faces that are getting planted everywhere over the evil internets!
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Hephaestus (profile), 10 Oct 2012 @ 8:11pm

Re: The Beast Awakens
"harsh laws to curb our Internet freedoms."

Freedom of speech

FTFY
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mhk, 15 Oct 2012 @ 10:09am

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