Let’s face it, the internet has changed the way we live our lives. A majority of us nowadays would be unable to survive without it. In recent years, it has come to a point where almost everything one needs can be bought online. It has become so prevalent, especially in western countries, that online retail has put in danger the very existence of physical stores with some malls and physical stores closing shop.   Photo courtesy of schudio.com   In the Philippines, we have given our own unique twist on online retail. Unlike the giants like Amazon, Ebay, and Alibaba,...

The passage of the Anti-Terror Bill by both chambers of Congress caused a deluge of criticism from Filipinos. It has sparked a debate about the provisions of the bill and how it would affect the lives of Filipinos once it is signed into law.   Like all things, there are two sides to every debate. On the one hand, those against the bill claim that it unduly tramples on Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms like the Freedom of Expression. On the other side of the aisle, those pushing for the bill claim that it is necessary for our national security. Senator Risa...

A house provides shelter to a person and his/her family. It shields them from the elements and from the dangers of the outside. It provides a person – or a family for that matter – a sense of security. Needless to state, a roof over one’s head is one of the basic necessities of every human being. A good number of our population lease the houses (including rooms, apartments, and other forms of leased accommodations) that they are living in. But with the imposition of the community quarantines in its different forms throughout the country many were unable to go...

Last week, we discussed what data privacy is and the different rights of a person in relation to information about him or her. Recently, we have been hearing calls to release COVID-19 patient information especially during the early weeks of the pandemic. The reason given for such calls were myriad. Foremost of the reasons given was that the public has an interest in the information in order to slow down – if not, stop – the infection. Those calling for the release of patient information argue that if the people know who got infected, it would help greatly in contact-tracing,...

With almost everyone under lockdown all over the world, a lot of our daily activities are slowly but sure moving online – at least for those that can be done online, things ranging from shopping, food delivery, working, and consultations with professionals. This situation puts a lot of personal information stored in some server located god-knows-where or floating around in the cloud. Now, more than ever, it would be prudent for everyone to know their rights when it comes to their personal information.   Let us first define what personal information is. Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy...