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PNP secures cyber-warrants vs Facebook, You Tube account 'promoting' sex abuse, child exploitation
PNP secures cyber-warrants vs Facebook, You Tube account 'promoting' sex abuse, child exploitation
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to serve a warrant against Facebook and You Tube to compel the two social media giant platforms to disclose information and other content posted on an account which allegedly promotes sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
Police Brig. Gen. Joel Doria, director of the PNP-ACG, said they already secured two Warrants to Disclose Computer Data (WDCD) that would compel Facebook and You Tube to elease subscriber information, chats, images and other content posted on social media on the accounts of “Usapang Diskarte”.
"Usapang Diskarte" is a Facebook and YouTube account that was created and uploaded with contents promoting sexual abuse and exploitation of children and has over 250,000 subscribers/followers connected to a group of sexual predators who equates ‘macho’ with being abusive, according to Doria.
"The accounts’ content shared tips on how to lure a minor to have sex with an older man. Minors are conditioned into thinking that having sex with an older man is normal. This video aroused the anger of netizens and requested action from the two social media platforms to take down the illicit videos circulating online," said Doria.
Doria said they initiated legal offensive, through the Women and Children Cybercrime Protection Unit (WCCPU), three weeks ago against the account after receiving complaints of the content.
"Since both platforms are based in the United States, this would require collaboration in obtaining the needed information necessary for a successful prosecution," said Police Lt. Col Irene Cena, head of the PNP-ACG-WCCPU).
She said the two cyber-warrants were already endorsed to the Department of Justice Office on Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC) for implementation pursuant to Rule on Cybercrime Warrants. (Section 2.8 Extraterritorial Service of Warrants and other Court Processes- For persons or service providers situated outside of the Philippines, service of warrants and/or other court processes shall be coursed through the Department of Justice-Office of Cybercrime, in line with all relevant international instruments and/or agreements on the matter.)
“After we forward this, we will wait for the data to be transmitted to us. This can include thousands of images, information on the account owner as well as their subscribers, chat logs and other information. We expect this investigation to be heavy”, said Cena.