NTC
Philippines to Require License to Post Content
I’m attending a hearing tomorrow on a proposal by the Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission that will require licenses for online content developers.
Yes, you read that right. The Philippine government wants to require licenses for people to create and post content online. Under the proposal’s extremely broad definition of a content developer, you would need a license just to comment on this post.
This is the most unenforceable proposal I have ever seen. What are they going to do, require five million Filipino Friendster users to get a license before posting pictures? This proposal clearly comes from the outdated mindset that only corporations can develop content.
It’s a public hearing, so feel free to join me. If nothing else, it’ll be good for a laugh. Click here to continue reading “Philippines to Require License to Post Content”…
Philippine Telco Board Wants Sites to Register!
No, that’s not a joke headline from The Onion. This is, without a doubt, the stupidest thing I’ve heard all year.
The National Telecommunication Commission plans to classify Web sites and other data posted on the Internet as a value added service that needs to registered with the government.
In the preliminary hearing of a draft memorandum circular on value added services, Edgardo Cabarrios, NTC director for common carrier and authorization department, said contents of Web sites such as Yahoo could be classified as a value added service in so far as its delivery is concerned.
“Telecom is delivery of content. When content is delivered it becomes a telecom service,” Cabarrios said.
See, this is why PayPal doesn’t send money to the Philippines. We’re governed by idiots who spend all day trying to figure out how to extort more kickbacks.
(From The Manila Times via Jim Ayson.)
