Philippines deploying facial recognition to identify anti-corruption protesters  

The eGovPH platform has not experienced a data breach, says a Philippines official department. In response to claims that more than 30,000 complainant records were exposed, the country’s Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) denied the allegations.

Reports that hackers had breached the eGovPH platform comes as the Southeast Asian country has been rocked by protests against government corruption. The eGovPH app is a central portal for various government services and transactions. Filipinos who travel overseas also use the app for immigration purposes as it stores passport and other personal details.

“We wish to clarify and reassure the public that the eGovPH App itself was not hacked or compromised,” the DICT said in a public statement posted on social media. “The incident involves one of the many third-party systems integrated with eGov PH — the eComplainants system — which is managed separately from the eGov PH App’s core infrastructure.”

The DICT added there was no evidence of a data breach within the e-government app and that all personal information stored within it remains “secure, encrypted, and protected” in line with protocols established by the Data Privacy Act 2012.

However, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda admitted that at least 19 government websites were hacked over the weekend, as reported by ABS CBN. The websites include domains under the DICT, Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev), Bureau of Customs, and 15 local government units.

The Philippines government is investigating if the hacking is connected to a group alleged to have encouraged “Black Mask March,” which urges Internet users to participate in the September 21 protests and wear black masks and shirts. The protests follow a corruption scandal with Filipino lawmakers and politicians implicated in allegedly bogus flood-control projects that may have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

In scenes reminiscent of the recent protests that erupted in Kathmandu, Nepal, which toppled that country’s government, Manila has seen anti-corruption protesters on the streets and attempts to enter the Malacanang presidential palace compound on September 21.

Facial recognition to be used against September 21 protesters

The Philippines’ Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the DICT are reportedly using facial recognition technology to help identify individuals who caused disturbances in what were largely peaceful protests against corruption. While families, clergy, and politicians were among the protesters, a number of other protesters threw rocks at police.

“We will be subjecting the video to facial recognition to identify those who disrupted the peaceful rallies against corruption,” CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato Paraiso said in a press conference, as reported by Business Mirror.

Paraiso argued it was a “valid exercise of police power,” saying that personal data protection under the Data Privacy Act can be “superseded” in order to preserve public order. “We have the capability to do facial recognition,” he said. “That’s why we are asking for the raw data from our friends in the media.”

Meanwhile, DICT Secretary Aguda appealed to groups “not to deface government websites because these websites are for the service of the people.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  DICT  |  digital ID  |  eGovPH  |  facial recognition  |  Philippines