Lawmaker says social media registration should be separate from SIM card registration

Muntinlupa Representative Ruffy Biazon said that social media registration should be the subject of a separate bill instead of making it a provision.

File photo: Some of the popular social media apps in the Philippines

The bill was proposed to prevent cybercrimes and troll farms

One of the social media registration bill's authors, Ruffy Biazon, explains the need to discuss it further and in greater detail. To recall, we had a report that President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the SIM card and social media registration bill.

The President cited concerns about freedom of speech and data privacy. However, his main issue with the bill is that earlier the Senate bill only dealt with SIM card registration. The social media part of the bill was "not duly defined, discussed, or threshed out" in the bill he was asked to sign earlier.

The solon said that when the bill was presented to the president, there was a just mere insertion of a sentence with regard to social media registration. Biazon pointed out,

But there were no details with regard to how really to regulate it. Unlike the subject of sim card registration, the procedures [are] somehow extensive in the bill. So, such an important topic, social media registration, I believe, should undergo an extensive discussion and that would be best approached by a bill specifically for social media registration.

The Muntinlupa Representative added that some lawmakers are open to refiling the bill on registering SIM cards. 

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said that President Duterte vetoed the social media registration bill, noting the inclusion of social media providers in the registration requirement was "not part of the original version of the bill and needs a more thorough study.

There are two lawmakers that were in favor of this decision, which was supposed to deter cybercrimes and troll farms. On the other hand, Senator Franklin Drilon called the rejection of the Sim Card Registration Act a "big win" for troll farms.

Breaking: Bongbong signs SIM Card Registration Act into law!

Any thoughts on this issue?

Source: ABS-CBN