1) What is Internet Censorship?

Internet Censorship is the control of the publishing or accessing of information in the internet. It is also similar to offline censorship. The censoring of things in the internet is mostly done by the government. Information and websites today which are commonly targeted:

  • Pornographic, Pedophile-related, and other morally objectionable websites — particularly in religious countries and in institutional settings such as schools.
  • MySpace — particularly in the Middle East.
  • Wikipedia — particularly in mainland China.
  • Political blogs and websites.
  • YouTube
  • Nazi and similar websites — particularly in France and Germany.
  • Religious websites.
  • Google - particularly in mainland China and Cuba.
  • Censorship-circumvention websites.

There is are two main organizations which help the censoring of things in a country: Reporters without Borders (RSF) maintains an internet enemy list while the OpenNet Initiative(ONI) categorizes some nations as practicing extreme levels of Internet censorship.2) Are there laws in the Phil. that can be considered censorship of the internet?

Yes, there is a bill in our country that is the Senate Bill 1375, whom the author is Loren Legarda. The bill proposed Anti-Computer Pornography Act, which seeks to reinforce the war on electronic smut. The bill provides that it would be illegal for any remote computer facility operator, electronic service provider or electronic bulletin board service provider to knowingly transmit, offer or attempt to send any communication that contains indecent material, to a person under 18 years of age. It would also be unlawful for them “to allow access to transmit indecent material to a minor”. Under the bill, peddlers of online porn and other “indecent materials” would be punished with up to six years in prison or a fine of as much as P500,000, or both. This seeks to protect the people, mostly the young from indecent or immoral plays, scenes, acts, or shows, whether live or in film. These include materials that glorify criminals or condone crimes; serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market of violence, lust or pornography; offend any race or religion; tend to abet traffic in and use of illicit drugs; and are contrary to law, public order, morals, good customs, established policies, lawful order, decrees and edicts.

3) In reality, is there internet censorship in the Phil.?

Yes, because there are many information that are banned here. One example is the taking down of the website boybastos.com. Senator Loren Legarda ordered the authorities to stop boybastos.com and arrested the owner of the website who is Mark Verzo. The senator urged the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and the National Bureau of Investigation to find ways to shut off boybastos.com, which claims on its site to be “the premiere bastos portal of the Philippines”. The IACAT is the agency tasked to enforce the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act and other laws against the prostitution, white slavery and the sexual exploitation of women and children. Some people are suggesting to make a giant firewall that may be named “Banaue Rice Firewall” to filter out incoming web traffic.

However there is a slight problem because instead of silently asking authorities to investigate the website, Sen. Legarda opted to gain publicity mileage by going directly to the media, thereby unwittingly becoming the website’s No. 1 promoter. “Our traffic/number of website visitors has skyrocketed thanks to the free publicity from the Senator, GMA News and other radio stations,” said the website yesterday.

4) Compare the Phil. situation w/ those of:

a. China

Internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China is conducted under a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. In accordance with these laws, more than sixty Internet regulations have been made by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government, and censorship systems are vigorously implemented by provincial branches of state-owned ISPs, business companies, and organizations.

The censorship of china is more strict or effective than of our country. They have internet police which is estimated 30,000 or more. Critical information appearing on internet forums, bulletin boards, blogs, vlogs or any major portals such as Sohu and Sina are usually erased within minutes.

b. Singapore

Singapore is in ONI’s nominal category and is not on RSF’s internet enemy list. In Singapore, three people were arrested and charged with sedition for posting racist comments on the Internet, of which two have been sentenced to imprisonment.

I think we have that same strictness more or less. They have freedom rights to speak, but if the information is very scandalous then the government has to stop the owner.

c. Myanmar

Burma (also known as Myanmar) is in ONI’s pervasive category and on RSF’s internet enemy list. Burma has banned the websites of political opposition groups, sites relating to human rights, and organizations promoting democracy in Burma. During the 2007 anti-government protests, Burma completely shut down all internet links from its country.

This country’s internet censorship is very extreme that there is no more freedom to speak. They disallow any information that are against their government. I guess that this is too much for the Phil’s. censorship and the government will not allow this to happen.