Duterte vetoes law on identification of SIM card holders and social media accounts

For the outgoing president, the measure "could give rise to dangerous interference by the State". In the Philippines, where internet use is very high, disinformation, anonymous defamation, verbal aggression, slander and incitement to hatred are widespread.

Manila (AsiaNews) - Outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed a law passed by parliament that would have forced Sim card holders to register and online account holders to use their real names. In the face of these limitations and "with the purpose of deterring crimes encouraged by electronic communication", Duterte has ordered the blocking of the measure.

This was announced in a statement by Duterte's spokesperson and Secretary of Presidential Communications, Martin Adanar. The President, confirmed Adanar, said he was concerned that the law "could have given rise to a situation of dangerous interference by the State and surveillance that would have threatened many of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Regarding Sim cards, the measure would have been valid not only for new holders, but also - within 180 days - for those already in possession, under penalty of deactivation. Who instead had activated a new social account would have had to provide the real name and phone number. The law was promoted by Senator Grace Poe (part of the political opposition to Duterte) with the aim of preventing the spread of cybercrime and to create conditions of greater security in mobile telephony and cyberspace.

In the Philippines, where the penetration of social media and internet in general is very high, disinformation, anonymous defamation, verbal aggression, slander and incitement to hatred are very common. Also, however, terrorist information, scams, frauds of various kinds and entities pass through the network.

To solicit the intervention of the president - often in contrast with social networks for the diffusion of criticism towards his policies and committed to limit the information against him also with violent methods - would have been the part of the measure concerning social media, not included in the draft law initially deposited in the Senate, considered potentially anti-constitutional and therefore in need of further discernment.

The vetoed law, which is the result of the convergence of two separate proposals discussed in the two parliamentary chambers, envisaged fines of 200 thousand pesos (around 3,500 euros) for IT companies, their employees, agents or retailers who spread information about a subscriber. Strict rules were also imposed on telephone service providers, and written consent was required from the subscriber in the event of a request by a court and investigators if there was suspicion of the number being used for criminal purposes.