| Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Congress of the Philippines | |
| |
| Citation | Republic Act 10175 |
| Territorial extent | Philippines |
| Enacted by | House of Representatives |
| Enacted by | Senate |
| Signed by | Benigno Aquino III |
| Signed | September 12, 2012 |
| Commenced | October 3, 2012[note 1] |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: House of Representatives | |
| Bill title | Same title as final law |
| Bill citation | House Bill 5808[note 2] |
| Introduced by | Susan Yap (Tarlac 2nd District) |
| Introduced | February 9, 2012 |
| First reading | February 13, 2012 |
| Second reading | May 9, 2012 |
| Third reading | May 21, 2012 |
| Committee report | Joint Explanation of the Conference Committee: 1323–1327 |
| Second chamber: Senate | |
| Bill title | Same title as final law |
| Bill citation | Senate Bill 2796 |
| Received from the House of Representatives | May 3, 2011 |
| Member(s) in charge | Edgardo Angara |
| First reading | June 27, 2011 |
| Second reading | June 30, 2011 |
| Third reading | July 10, 2011 |
| Final stages | |
| Reported from conference committee | May 30, 2012 |
| Conference committee bill passed by House of Representatives | June 4, 2012 |
| Conference committee bill passed by Senate | June 26, 2011 |
| Status: In force | |
The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, officially recorded as Republic Act No. 10175, is a law in the Philippines that was approved by President Benigno Aquino III on September 12, 2012. It aims to address legal issues concerning online interactions and the Internet in the Philippines. Among the cybercrime offenses included in the bill are cybersquatting, cybersex, child pornography, identity theft, illegal access to data and libel.[1]
While hailed for penalizing illegal acts done via the Internet that were not covered by old laws, the act has been criticized for its provision on criminalizing libel, which is perceived to be a curtailment of the freedom of expression—"cyber authoritarianism".[2] Its use against journalists like Maria Ressa, of Rappler, has drawn international condemnation.[3][4]
On October 9, 2012, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a temporary restraining order, stopping implementation of the Act for 120 days, and extended it on February 5, 2013 "until further orders from the court."[5][6]
On February 18, 2014, the Supreme Court upheld most of the sections of the law, including the controversial cyberlibel component.[7][note 1]
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Republic Act No. 10175 (September 12, 2012), Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Official Gazette, archived from the original on December 9, 2021, retrieved May 22, 2020
- ^ Gonzales, Iris (November 2, 2012). "Filipino law is 'cyber authoritarianism'". New Internationalist. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ Jennings, Ralph (April 24, 2020). "Rare Cyber Libel Case Tests Fragile Media Freedoms in Philippines". Voice of America. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ Hammer, Joshua (October 15, 2019). "The Journalist vs. the President, With Life on the Line". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
- ^ "SC extends TRO on cybercrime law". GMA News. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ^ "SC won't lift TRO on cybercrime law". Sunstar. February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
- ^ Merueñas, Mark (February 18, 2014). "Internet libel in cybercrime law constitutional – SC". GMA News. Retrieved May 20, 2016.