MIRIAM SEEKS PROTECTION FOR NETIZENS

In a speech at the De La Salle University Manila, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said that the law should protect the Internet as an enterprise platform.

Santiago said that the effect of the Internet on the Philippine economy is staggering, considering the following factors:

• Consumers who make their purchases online.

• Ecommerce companies, which provide jobs which with a multiplier effect, and hence produce other jobs in the economy.

• Internet-related small businesses.

• Online advertising spending.

Santiago said that the Internet should be protected, because it creates industries that provide jobs, such as:

• Internet service providers

• Web-hosting services

• Hardware and software producers

•  Search engines

• Content developers

• Information technology consulting

• Advertising networks, and

• Web design

Santiago quoted from the book Cyber Law, which describes the Internet as follows:

"The Internet means advances in productivity, speed, and knowledge. It is the fastest, most cost efficient way to reach the widest possible audience. . . . It makes it possible for businesses to deliver targeted aids to users, based on their searches. The net effect of these technologies is nothing short of an information revolution where there is now almost universal access to both free information and free tools to disseminate information."