Previous 70 / 111 Next

During a hearing in February 2023, critics of the bill claim that the definition of “fake news” is “unconstitutional” and too broad, giving the law potential for use as a political weapon against free speech246, 247. The proposed law recalls Republic Act No. 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” enacted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law, which expired automatically, gave authorities the power to criminalize narratives considered as disinformation and misinformation related to the pandemic. Critics and ordinary citizens were arrested as a result—including Maria Victoria “Bambi” Beltran, an artist who made a sarcastic Facebook post about COVID-19 contamination in her home city248,249. Critics instead proposed that the solution to combat information disorder should be to encourage the dissemination of facts250. 246 247 248 249 250 3. Information Control and Manipulation Marcos Jr.’s rise to the presidency was built on a social media propaganda campaign that had been in place years before he ran for president. The campaign centered on whitewashing the brutal history of his father’s presidency, which saw grave human rights abuses and massive corruption. Major businesses in the country were owned by Marcos’s cronies while people lived in poverty. The state also ruled violently by suppressing protests and the political opposition through imprisonment, extrajudicial killings, and massacres. Apart from whitewashing history, propaganda also falsely promoted Marcos Jr.’s credibility, in particular, pretending to have an Oxford University degree and to being an author of important laws. On the other hand, the campaign also attacked his main election opponent, former vice-president Leni Robredo, against whom he lost in 2016. The narratives against Robredo painted her as incompetent and unintelligent. Talabong, Rambo. “Criminalizing ‘Fake News’: Why It Won’t Work.” RAPPLER, 6 Dec. 2022, www.rappler.com/ nation/criminalizing-fake-news-why-would-not-work-senate-hearing-2022. Mangaluz, Jean. “Issues, Concerns Raised Over Anti-fake News Bill in House Hearing.” INQUIRER.net, 15 Feb. 2023, newsinfo.inquirer.net/1730457/anti-fake-news-bill-met-with-concerns-of-chilling-effect-inhouse-hearing. Macasero, Ryan. “Cebu Film Writer Arrested Over Facebook Post About Coronavirus in Sitio Zapatera.” RAPPLER, 19 Apr. 2020, www.rappler.com/nation/258398-cebu-film-writer-arrested-coronavirus-facebook-post-sitio-zapatera. Buan, Lian. “Bayanihan Act’s Sanction Vs ‘False’ Info the ‘Most Dangerous’” RAPPLER, 29 Mar. 2020, www.rappler.com/nation/256256-sanctions-fake-news-bayanihan-act-most-dangerous. Talabong, Rambo. “Criminalizing ‘Fake News’: Why It Won’t Work.” RAPPLER, 6 Dec. 2022, www.rappler.com/ nation/criminalizing-fake-news-why-would-not-work-senate-hearing-2022. 70

Select target paragraph3

● ● ●

Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Report

Preview

Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

DigitalReach

Date Published: Aug 6, 2024

Abstract: It is undeniable that information technology has significantly impacted human rights and democracy these days. Different governments around Southeast Asia continually attempt to control digital space through, for example, using repressive laws and regulations, forcing social media platforms to follow their orders, and using spyware and similar technology to surveil critics. In Southeast Asia, democracy and human rights have deteriorated because of these attempts, especially for countries under authoritarian regimes.

In order to better understand the situation, DigitalReach publishes annual reports to present and analyze the events and trends around the region. The 2023 annual report analyzes the digital rights situation in eight countries across Southeast Asia—namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam–from January 2023 to December 2023, with glimpses of key updates into 2024, given the timing of its release.

The report format has been changed completely from the previous years. In order to more systematically present the developments observed, the report is organized into three key areas: (1) Legal and Policy Developments, (2) Information Control and Manipulation, and (3) Threats Against Critics and Political Opposition.

From a regional perspective, legal and policy developments in countries that are known to restrict human rights are still mainly about using or coming up with new policies to further suppress human rights in the digital sphere. Countries considered to be more democratic also attempt to change or repeal their laws, but still without a clear sign of improvement toward digital rights.

In terms of information control and manipulation, social media platforms continue to be deployed for political ends, with different platforms serving a specific purpose for each country. The shift toward short video format, TikTok in particular, continued from 2022 to contribute toward information disorder, especially during election periods. The use of video shorts is important when targeting young voters, who played an important role in determining election results in Thailand and Indonesia this year like they did in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2022. State-sponsored cyber armies were also documented, while some governments preferred to assert more effective control of social media platforms. Other important methods related to the flow of information include suppression of media freedom and internet disruptions, which are particularly severe in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

Judicial harassment is a key form of threat used against critics and political opposition in 2023. It is still common for people in Southeast Asia to be thrown in jail for what they say or do online. Others who do not subscribe to the government’s ideology face online harassment from state-sponsored cyber armies or government supporters. In terms of surveillance, 5 out of 8 countries included in this report have been found to have or are likely to have spyware technology.

Link: source

Primary Documents

2023-Annual-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
English
Download View

Myanmar Internet Project

Select target paragraph3

Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Primary Documents

Notifications