FMA leads an ongoing fight in the Philippines against the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act. Photo: FMA.In September 2012, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which threatens to curtail the freedoms of Filipinos in cyberspace, was signed into law. Dubbed the “Cyber Martial Law” by its opponents, the new legislation sparked massive online and offline protests, and was soon halted indefinitely by the Supreme Court.
Throughout 2013, FMA continued to advocate for the repeal of the Cyber Martial Law while working to build a constituency to push for legislation and policies to ensure respect for human rights on the internet. In November 2013 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution upholding the right to privacy in the digital age, which also affirmed that the same rights offline should also be protected online. FMA stepped up its advocacy around domestic laws and policies upholding women’s rights, data privacy and internet freedom, as well as its efforts to effectively link the discourse on upholding rights on the internet in national legislations to global and regional internet policy spaces.