MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto of a bill mandating SIM card and social media registration will allow cybercriminals, especially online scammers and trolls, to continue their thriving businesses unrestricted after he steps down from office, several senators warned on Saturday. 2395 and House Bill 5793, which would mandate the registration of all subscriber identity module (SIM) cards and social media accounts. He said that as long as anonymity on social media exists, political trolling, troll armies and fake news would succeed in sowing division among Filipinos. Gatchalian said that Drilon’s “last-minute insertion” to register all social media accounts was against the essence of the original bill. She said the veto highlights the need to find “effective ways to protect our citizens and our democracy.”—WITH A REPORT FROM JULIE M. AURELIORELATED STORIESDrilon says veto of SIM card registration bill a ‘big win for trolls’Social media registration in vetoed SIM bill a ‘last-minute insertion’ by Drilon — House leaderActivists welcome veto of SIM card registration bill: ‘It’s dangerous’Read Next

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 17, 2022 03:37 UTC