Photojournalists stage a protest rally outside the Philippine Congress on Tuesday. (Photo: by Vincent Go)
A proposed privacy bill in the Philippines could threaten media freedom and be used as a “weapon” against journalists, freedom of expression advocates warn.
The proposed law, dubbed the “anti-selfie” bill by some local media, aims to protect citizens from personal intrusion, but critics say it represents a dangerous and unnecessary threat to free expression.
At least 100 photojournalists and media activists staged a protest in Manila this week calling on lawmakers to scrap the proposed measure.
Mike Alquinto, chairman of the Photojournalists' Center of the Philippines, said the country’s constitution already has enough provisions to ensure the the privacy of citizens is protected.
"We don't need another law that will only steal our freedom from us," Alquinto said.
The bill’s main sponsor, Representative Rufus Rodriguez, says the bill will be rewritten following an outcry from journalists and other groups. In its original form, House Bill 4807 would have made in it illegal “to capture … any type of visual image, sound recording, or other physical impression of any individual, personal or family activity for commercial purposes” — language that critics contended was far too broad for privacy legislation.
But critics still fear even a revised version of the legislation would be crippling.
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said the proposed measure’s intent is so broad it could be used as a “weapon” by curbing journalists’ abilities to do their jobs.
“In an era where technology is quickly breaking down the obstacles that hamper the flow of information and expression, which are the bedrock of democracy, [the proposed law] could return us to the Dark Ages and worse, be used as a weapon of suppression and repression," the statement read.