Several senators have raised alarm over the growing presence of online gambling operations embedded in popular apps and digital platforms, urging government regulators to move swiftly in shutting them down.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has ordered mobile payment platforms, including GCash and Maya, to cut access to in-app gaming within 48 hours, amid mounting concerns in the Senate over the social costs of online gambling.
Under Senate Bill 782, or the proposed Physical Identity Protection Act, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero aims to address the misuse of AI in generating and disseminating content that mimics a person’s physical attributes without authorization — a practice he warns could undermine public trust and harm individuals.
Senate Bill No. 2699, also known as the Konektadong Pinoy Act, seeks to overhaul the nation's outdated telecommunications regulatory framework and align it with the requirements of the digital age.
Sen. Grace Poe, the budget sponsor of the DICT, said instead of granting the agency a P300-million confidential fund, the amount of P280 million was put in a line item budget “so that it’s easier for us to be able to monitor it.”
The hacking incidents have pushed Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to state that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) urgently needs confidential funds to upgrade the government's protection from cyberattacks.
The eCongress website, an integrated digital legislative management system, will allow the two chambers of the legislature to strengthen coordination and make the inter-chamber processes much better and faster.
Senate Bill No. (SBN) 1846 or the proposed Internet Transactions Act. calls for the establishment of the "E-Commerce Bureau" under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which shall have authority over activities conducted over the Internet.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, has assured foreign chambers that the Senate is taking seriously their concern on the boosting of Internet connectivity in the country, saying the quality of digital infrastructure is the cornerstone to economic development and will consequently improve the general welfare of the Filipino people.
