Questions for the Midterm Exam

www.findsomeromance.com, www.filipinaeyes.com Sounds familiar? Browsing at web page that lines up photo of young filipinas that looks for sale like hotcakes and fries?

There are many ethical questions that arise with the rapid growth of the "mail order bride" industry in cyberspace. The booming growth of these companies on the Web and the potential for abuse has gone unnoticed by law makers

"Mail order bride" companies or companies of similar nature have taken to the Internet in recent years, which now constitutes a multi-million dollar industry. The Internet, with over 25 million users, has helped numerous men find wives. The worst case maybe will be the so-called "female escorts" that borders prostitution and pornography. Many people claim that it has opened the doors to increased prostitution, slavery, exploitation and global trafficking especially in women.

What are the ethical issues that seem to enslave this growing industy?

Is there much of a difference between the mail order brides industry or companies that provide escort services versus meeting someone over the Internet in a chat room?

Does this industry differ much from arranged marriages that take place in some cultures?
Or in the case of "female escorts", does this differ from prostitution?

By drawing out ethical principles your have learned as well the our current IT laws, Discuss
your opinion about these ethical questions raised.

Additional Philippine Laws Related to Computing

Mail-Order-Bride Law (Republic Act No. 6955)

Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208)

Because there were no clear mention of computer technology or the internet in general, such issues have been deemed vague and lack of teeth. These are Philippine Laws that contain flaws that definitely need revision that will fit today's technology trends

RA8792 Salient features

Here's the salient features of RA8792:

• It gives legal recognition of electronic data messages, electronic documents, and electronic signatures.
• Allows the formation of contracts in electronic form.
• Makes banking transactions done through ATM switching networks absolute once consummated.
• Parties are given the right to choose the type and level of security methods that suit their needs.
• Provides the mandate for the electronic implementation of transport documents to facilitate carriage of goods. This includes documents such as, but not limited to, multi-modal, airport, road, rail, inland waterway, courier, post receipts, transport documents issued by freight forwarders, marine/ocean bill of lading, non-negotiable seaway bill, charter party bill of lading.
• Mandates the government to have the capability to do e-commerce within 2 years or before June 19, 2002.
• Mandates RPWeb to be implemented. RPWeb is a strategy that intends to connect all government offices to the Internet and provide universal access to the general public. The Department of Transportation and Communications, National Telecommunications Commission, and National Computer Center will come up with policies and rules that shall lead to substantial reduction of costs of telecommunication and Internet facilities to ensure the implementation of RPWeb.
• Made cable, broadcast, and wireless physical infrastructure within the activity of telecommunications.
• Empowers the Department of Trade and Industry to supervise the development of e-commerce in the country. It can also come up with policies and regulations, when needed, to facilitate the growth of e-commerce.
• Provided guidelines as to when a service provider can be liable.
• Authorities and parties with the legal right can only gain access to electronic documents, electronic data messages, and electronic signatures. For confidentiality purposes, it shall not share or convey to any other person.
• Hacking or cracking, refers to unauthorized access including the introduction of computer viruses, is punishable by a fine from 100 thousand to maximum commensurating to the damage. With imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years.
• Piracy through the use of telecommunication networks, such as the Internet, that infringes intellectual property rights is punishable. The penalties are the same as hacking.
• All existing laws such as the Consumer Act of the Philippines also applies to e-commerce transactions.

Anyone who uses the Internet, computer, cellular phone, and other IT-enabled devices has the duty to know RA8792. As the old saying goes, “Ignorance of the law doesn’t excuse anyone.”

Reference

Toral, Janette, Salient Features of RA8792, The E-Commerce Law , excerpt extracted January 1, 2006 from http://www.digitalfilipino.com/writing_article.cfm?id=19