Pinoy netizens more vulnerable to cyber threats – study

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino netizens are 33 times more likely to be exposed to threats in cyberspace due to a lack of safeguards against pirate websites, a study by an Australian researcher found.

Conducted by Paul Watters of Macquarie University, the study found that Filipino’s accessing and browsing of content in popular pirate websites compared to legitimate film and TV platforms throw them into the sights of hackers and make them open targets to a breach.

Watters cited how high internet and mobile data usage in the Philippines make Filipinos an attractive target for pirates.

He said pirate sites provide a platform for criminals to harvest customer data more easily than hacking into websites to get data.

Unfortunately, consumers in the Philippines use pirate sites unaware of their inherent dangers, including exposing their data.

With such consumer vulnerabilities, Watters underscored the need to put in place measures to ensure compliance and build awareness on the threats that lurk in pirate sites.

“Site-blocking of the most popular pirate sites is the most effective baseline option,” he said.

The findings of the study, commissioned by the Motion Picture Association, were presented at an anti-piracy symposium organized by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, GMA Networks Inc. and Globe.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s chief sustainability and corporate communications officer, cited the urgency for Congress to amend the Philippines’ outdated Intellectual Property Code to strengthen enforcement against content piracy, particularly authorizing site-blocking.

“This study underscores how critical it is to pass legislation that would authorize site blocking to protect consumers, especially our youth, from the hidden dangers lurking on pirate sites,” Crisanto said.

However, all progress on amending bills will be lost once the current Congress ends and new leaders take office after the 2025 elections.

In a fireside chat during the symposium, Team Globe of Good Ambassadors Edu Manzano, Shaina Magdayao, Kim Atienza and Pia Guanio talked about how piracy has effectively crippled the entertainment industry.

Manzano, actor and former head of the Optical Media Board, recalled the time when the Philippine film industry produced over 200 films per year. Because of piracy, this number is down to less than 30 per year, leaving many industry workers out of jobs.

“It was a tough time because we could not find work for over 9,000 unemployed workers in our industry. We saw the direct effect. Sad to say people show up in the office to ask for a buck or two,” said Manzano, recalling the toll of piracy when the crime first emerged.

“To this day, I have to say that the industry has not recovered,” said Manzano.

He cited the urgency of passing legislation with strong penal provisions to clamp down on piracy, keeping in mind that this crime is borderless.

“We have to pressure like-minded members of the House of Representatives and the Senate and let them realize that laws become flawed soon after they pass because technology advances at an amazing pace,” Manzano said.

On the other hand, Magdayao said piracy has discouraged investments in the entertainment industry, limiting the great potential of Filipino creatives.