YOU ARE YOUR DATA

A Crash Course on Data Privacy in the Philippines

- Chris Noel Hidalgo

In 2016, the personal data of over 55-million Filipino voters were stolen from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) database and were published online by a Philippine hacker collective. The breach involved personally identifiable information of the most sensitive nature, including passport numbers and expiry dates, residential addresses, and birthdates. It remains one of the biggest local cybersecurity stories as of writing, both in terms of the scale of the breach, as well as its role in thrusting the topic of data privacy into the public spotlight.

Just imagine. The information you use to access your finances, sign up for mobile plans, and take out a loan might have been part of this leak. Someone might have been able to steal your identity and you probably would have never known until you’re facing criminal charges for something you have not done.

The breach underscores one very important thing—you are your data. Unfortunately, we cannot just decide to stop sharing our information with others. Today’s digital age necessitates that we share our data for most kinds of transactions, transactions that become more efficient and convenient over time. As such, you have to be familiar with your fundamental right to data privacy.

But what exactly are data privacy rights, where should they apply, and why should you care?

DATA PRIVACY RIGHTS IN A NUTSHELL