A report said that cyber crime mafias, who are mostly foreigners, are gradually making the Philippines their base of operations. According to the top official, the PNP at present has no organizational and technical capability to fight cyber crimes. These syndicates use sophisticated technology, while law enforcers fall behind in terms of training and equipment. In fact, he said he has asked for support for immediate organizational and technical capability in order to build-up the concerned unit.

The arrest of a foreign national hacker in the country exposed the wide network of cyber crime. There are mafias working behind the operations of illegal online gambling and credit card fraud activities in the country. The operations of these groups seem unhampered as evidenced by the fast growth of their connections.

The Anti-Transnational and Cyber Crime Division of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested a 38-year old Korean national hacker. He was on the list of those wanted by Interpol for large-scale internet fraud. Investigations revealed that the Korean group had hacked the servers of the country’s top telecommunication companies. Further investigations uncovered the group’s intrusion into the accounts of some private corporations.

Although the CIDG has been successful in raiding seven of the group’s illegal online casinos, the country’s capacity to counter cyber crime has not improved. There are also reports that Filipinos are being used as “e-mules” for their transnational money laundering and credit card fraud operations. It seems that these criminals can get around Philippine laws so easily that they prefer to build their refuge there than in other countries.

For a long time, children of these anonymous fathers did not ask about their fathers’ details. Some children do not know that they were conceived from donated sperm. Others know this truth but do not want to know more. Still others know this truth but do not know what to do to know more.

Not with the case of Olivia Pratten. She is leaving no stone unturned to know more about her father’s identity. Pratten does not know much about her biological father. She was born in 1981 after her mother sought the help of a fertility specialist in Vancouver. All she knew was that he is Caucasian, with a stocky build, brown hair, blue eyes and type “A” blood.

Now a journalist working in Toronto, the 28-year old Pratten is determined to know more about the sperm donor. She is now hoping that the British Columbia Supreme Court will favor its ruling for her. Never before has this court granted to reveal the identity of sperm donors. If ever, this will be the first of its kind in North America.

North America has maintained its ruling of maintaining anonymity rights of donors. Sweden, the U.K. and some other European countries, however, have legislations that force donors not to remain anonymous.

With Pratten’s case now in the B.C. Supreme Court, she is just awaiting for the court to rule in her favor. She asked for the court to include offspring conceived via egg and sperm donation in a new Adoption legislation. She also wanted a new law that would force physicians to maintain donor records indefinitely. If this is granted, children of donors could access these records once they become adults.

The issue at hand is not much about Pratten wanting to know her father’s identity. Rather, it is whether the anonymity of past sperm donors should be revealed.

A critic contends that granting a positive decision by the court would imply two things to future donors. First, donors would need better financial incentives. Second, they would think of themselves as helping other people build families by donating sperm. Either way, the issue remains the same: should the anonymity of sperm donors be kept intact?

Can you imagine submitting yourself to a full-body scanner? It’s no big deal, right? But wait until you know what really happens during that brief exposure. Not a square inch of your body is hidden as the machine goes through your clothing! In short, you are not aware that unknown pairs of eyes may be feasting during that short period. You could consider it as a normal part of the process, but not when it comes to your privacy.

Some airline companies and government are working together in setting up stricter airport security. Many are still haunted by fear of the 9/11 recurrence.  As more efforts are instituted to deter terrorism, your privacy was left unguarded.

Collecting data from passengers was launched by Canadian Airlines. Full-body scanners and the no-fly list are added features. Because of these, various sectors vehemently aired their concerns.

According to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the scanner’s invasiveness and effectiveness are worrisome.  Body search or pat-down was offered as substitute by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Scanners, they claimed, should be used as second choice. In addition, a system should be maintained so that passengers’ identity would remain anonymous.

The foregoing criticisms forced a government unit to conduct an audit of aviation technology. The main target of the audit is the much talked about full-body scanner. Closed-circuit security cameras come next but equally important. When the results are revealed, the real image behind these machines would hopefully appear.

To many, privacy infringement may not be a cause for worry. The world has become so small that global neighbors could share personal information. However, many still value privacy as something that could not be given away just like that. It is worth keeping and preserving.

The Internet companies believe the solution to the speed problem is to slow down certain applications which don’t require as much bandwidth, and speed up others that require more. They urge legislators to not create any time guidelines for loading sequences, as the Internet is a rapidly evolving place and these rules and regulations would be difficult to instate in a timely manner on every new website that pops up. By giving them the control, they could eliminate the inequalities in network speeds created by the public.

Thus, the debate rages; can ISPs regulate Internet traffic? The public says no, as some people who use peer to peer file sharing programs could be hit hard by the regulation, as these types of applications require lots and lots of bandwidth. Internet providers assert that regulating these high bandwidth application is simply a choice of the lesser of two evils: most people can travel much more quickly, while some will have to wait longer to share and download files.

The public and privacy group advocates insist that the ISPs are not allowed to control or change any Internet traffic or content coming to and from the people. Citizens cite a ordinance in the Telecommunications Act which says in verbatim: “Carriers shall not control the content or influence the meaning or purpose of telecommunications carried by it for the public.”  By doing any sort of controlling or changing of their Internet experience, these companies would be violating that act.

The public also argues that certain time-based programs, such as Internet voice communication and most online games would be thrown off by a restriction of bandwidth. Imagine saying something to a friend and having them hear it minutes later, or playing a game of online chess and your move is only registered minutes later. This wouldn’t fly for Internet businessmen, or any avid video gamer.

While the technology companies have a valid point, what they wish to do would violate sanctions set in place by level-headed lawmakers. The public is just scared that these changes won’t work, and the vast demographic that uses online communications, games, and other media sharing programs would be almost completely shut down.  It all boils down to one thing, and the public has to decide whether or not to embrace this double-edged sword. They  have to ask themselves; am I going to give up Internet freedom for Internet speed?

You also have to ask yourself what happens when the ISP’s start monitoring traffic. Will then be content to monitor the type of traffic, or will they start to examine the actual content. If they start monitoring content, then more and more people will start using encrypted anonymous proxy solutions to surf anonymously. No one wants their Internet surfing read or recorded.  And thus the use of anonymous proxies is on the rise.