Philippines Outlaws Cybersex
from the oh,-and-criminalizes-libel-too dept
The EFF points us to the news of the Philippines signing into law the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which has a number of interesting and worrisome provisions. The EFF, quite rightly, focuses on the fact that it makes online libel a criminal rather than civil offense, which could lead to jail time. They note that this provision appears to violate the UN's Human Rights Council, which claims that criminal sanctions against libel are a problem. Also troubling: that section was added by one Senator, Vicente Sotto III, without any public hearing, after Sotto claimed "introducing Internet libel laws would make people more cautious online." Hello, chilling effects.But what caught my eye, was a couple sections up from the libel part. It appears that Cybersex is now a crime in the Philippines too. In the section that lists out "content-related offense," number one on the list is:
Cybersex. -- The willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration.That wording seems a bit awkward, but it certainly seems to suggest that even willing cybersex is now illegal if it's done "for favor or consideration." People in the Philippines are quite reasonably worried that the language here is quite broad. And what's the punishment? It seems a bit on the harsh side:
Any person found guilty of any of the punishable acts enumerated in Section 4(c)(1) of this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of prision mayor or a fine of at least Two hundred thousand pesos (PhP200,000.00) but not exceeding One million pesos (PhPl,000,000.00) or both.Prision mayor appears to mean at least six years in prison. 200,000 Philipine pesos is about $5,000. So... basically cybersex is a crime in the Philippines that could net you more than six years in jail... and fines of between $5,000 and $25,000.
That seems a bit... harsh.
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Filed Under: cybersex, free speech, internet, libel, philippines
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I thought of a few:
1- Reduce the number of abandoned e-kids as a result of unplanned e-parenthood.
2- Promote and increase offline sexual activity (epic win!).
3- Decrease and prevent further spreading of e-STD (commonly known as malware).
I'm inclined to believe his original motives were noble and so he was thinking of all those e-children generated from cybersex all alone in the tubes!
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This is disgusting tyranny.
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Huh???
What does that even mean?
It sounds to me like the politician who drafted this just found out that all hot girls on the internet are actually MEN.
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Re: Huh???
Basically it means if you want to cyber with your girlfriend,it's not a crime, but if you want to have the online equivalent of phone sex on a 900 number, it is a crime.
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Re: Huh???
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There's no way that's reasonable
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the oldest lobby
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Easily explained
(When a sperm is wasted, God gets quite irate)
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I have this feeling 99% of the men in here are going to hell. Maybe in exception of TD usual critics. They still think the Internet is for authorized content, the poor things.
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Bet the Prisons in that Nation will be well stocked and overflowing.
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This sounds like sloppy legal drafting.
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The laws are being changed to bring them in line with other low wage countries in the area such as Thailand, which is a mecca for the porn business but where much of the activity is either purely illegal or blocked by zealous local police.
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The Philippines has been home to many in the porn industry looking for low wage slaves to build sites and spam their content all over the net. Now it looks like they will have to move again.
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No....
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Out of curiosity...
I've got this nagging suspicion that once again an imaginary crime is being given a harsher punishment than an actual one.
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Stupid sex laws
Backward laws regarding sex have existed though out history in lots of places.
for instance, if cybersex was banned in Georgia, people couldn't have sex at all unless they were married!
Banning cybersex is only going to cause more people to come together in person for their nefarious activities.
But instead of ebabies there will be be real ones, causing a spike in world population which will result in a serious lack of resources that will cause the collapse of civilization as we know it.
The humanity!
Don't these people think these things through!
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Pinoy here... T_T
And yes... We're still a mess up here...
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In the Philippines
Silly laws written by silly people.
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On Review...
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A bit dissappointed this was how you decided to present it
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cybersex with my wife.
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