The Philippines Bans Cybersex And Trolling. Good Luck With That.

In a law that we’re absolutely sure will be acknowledged and respected by all of the great people of the Philippines, the country has signed into law the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Among the cybercrimes it prevents are talking crap about people online and being naked on Chatroulette.

So, what, legally, is cybersex?

The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 defines cybersex as “the willful engagement, maintenance, control, or operation, directly or indirectly, of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system, for favor or consideration.”

But that’s not even the start of it. In addition to banning cam girls and being a douche, the craziest part of the law is that Filipinos are expected to abide by it even if they’re not on their country’s soil. And you’re expected to abide by it when talking to Filipinos online.

No, seriously, here’s some language from the law:

[The court] shall have jurisdiction over any violation of the provisions of this Act including any violation committed by a Filipino national regardless of the place of commission… if any of the elements was committed within the Philippines or committed with the use of any computer system wholly or partly situated in the country, or when by such commission any damage is caused to a natural or juridical person who, at the time the offense was committed, was in the Philippines

In other words, if you decide to ring up somebody on the islands and for some reason get naked, the National Bureau of Investigation is supposed to arrest both the citizen and you’re supposedly in trouble too. If you’re wondering why this law was passed, the short answer is to give the NBI tools to deal with organized crime. Gizmodo ran a fairly intense expose of the cam industry, and sex trafficking is a serious problem in many countries, among them the Philippines.

Still, banning nudity on the Internet? Good luck.

×