philippines
Freedom of information – also referred to as the right to information – is the fundamental right of an individual to access information under the control or custody of the government. The United Nations General Assembly considers it as an integral part of the right of freedom of expression, which is enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). By its very nature, it sits at the core of any democratic nation. Another advocacy that has grown in signific...
I did not fly to Vanuatu for the 2018 Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF). But still, I participated in this year's APrIGF, albeit remotely. My organisation, the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), together with the Internet Society (ISOC) Philippines Chapter and our Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), set up a remote hub for those who are interested in learning more about internet governance and other related issues in the Asia Pacific re...
In March 2016, the Philippines made headlines when the personal data of around 55 million registered voters were leaked online. In the wake of the controversy, discussions on security and privacy resurfaced among legislators and the public. Among those taken up were relevant policy proposals, like the establishment of a national identification (ID) system. Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA...
More than two years into the campaign against illegal drugs started by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, accountability remains a problem. To address this issue, Ang Pangako, a website to help seek and demand accountability for extrajudicial killings, was launched during the Commission on Human Rights in April 2018. The website, created by APC member ...
What is big data? Given its name, does one define it simply in terms of size or quantity? If that’s the case, much of the excitement that surrounds it is overblown. History, after all, is teeming with evidence of humans dealing with generous amounts of data. That also means the concept is a dated one, merely resuscitated from relative obscurity. No. Big data goes beyond that—though volume r...
APC member in the Philippines Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) expresses grave concern over the decision of the Philippine authorities to shut down cell sites during huge festivities. The organisation calls for transparency regarding the guidelines used by authorities before resorting to signal jamming. As advocates of human rights and communication rights, FMA believes that human rights...
What have our readers liked most during this year that is coming to an end? Check these stories out if you haven't had a chance to read them yet! What do we want to accomplish in 2017? For years, the internet has had a transformative effect throughout the world. Despite the increasing curbs on freedoms and rights, APC will continue to work on promoting access to a free and open internet to impr...
This year, the Philippines is undergoing its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC). The Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) submitted a UPR stakeholder report on the state of digital rights in the Philippines together with the Association of Progressive Communications (APC), as well as another submission on the right to privacy together with P...
The Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the third cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines. This submission focuses on the Philippines' compliance under international human rights law on the promotion, protection and fulfillment of rights particularly in the Internet.
High Tension pylons carrying optic fibreICT ministries and regulators from Southern Africa are meeting this week to consider ways to use infrastructure sharing to help achieve more universal access to broadband. The two-day event in Johannesburg beginning Wednesday 20 May is being convened by the regional regulatory body CRASA and organised by APC to bring together the Southern Africa Developm...
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2018
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