Case Digests Sex video scandal In 2009, a video showing intimate acts between an actress (Ruby) and a celebrity doctor became viral. This prompted the actress to file a complaint before law enforcement agencies because she did not consent to the taking and uploading of said video. The case was filed in court because of the emotional and psychological anguish that the uploaded video caused the actress. During that time, there was no law yet in the Philippines that punished violence against women perpetrated through the use of ICTs. The actress lost her case. However, she gave face to the many women whose rights are being violated online. Her daring act to come out and speak about her experience hastened the passage of the “Anti-photo and Video Voyeurism Act.” Photo scandal An image showing the private parts of an actress-politician (Martha) was circulating in various platforms online. Not being well-versed on such online violations and how to claim her rights, the woman engaged the services of a private lawyer to have her photos taken down. Citing the privacy of her client and utilizing the existing law against photo and video voyeurism, which clearly and categorically punishes “the act of publishing or broadcasting, or causing to be published or broadcasted, whether in print or broadcast media or through the internet, the photo of a person showing her private areas,” the lawyer issued demand letter to bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social networking sites not to allow anymore downloads (and sharing) of the nude photos, warning that doing so is a violation of the law. The photos were taken down within 24 hours after the demand letter was issued. Child cyber pornography Early in 2014, the issue of cyber pornography in a small coastal town in Cebu called Cordova hit the headlines. The cases reported involved the use of minors in the operation of cyber pornography dens. It was later learned that in some cases, it is the parents of the minors themselves who are encouraging their children to pose naked or perform lewd acts in front of webcams for the satisfaction of paying foreign customers. In some cases, it is the parents themselves who are directly involved in the operation. Several raids were conducted and those involved in the operation, including the parents, were sent to jail. The social welfare department took over the custody of the minors. (Excerpts from a report entitled ‘What are you doing about Violence against Women?’ published by GenderIT.org, a resource site that aims to provide feminist reflections on internet policies.) <End Violence: Women’s Rights and Safety Online> 5