Manila, Philippines – A lawmaker representing a left-wing party-list group has protested as a threat to the constitutional rights of Filipinos the alleged tracking by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of social networking accounts throughout the world.
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the US Embassy in the country must inform Malacañang whether or not it is engaged in the same activities.
He cited reports that the CIA has also been tapping its embassies to monitor Twitter and Facebook accounts is a cause for alarm for every independent nation and its freedom-loving citizens.
Reports have indicated that the CIA has been tracking social networking accounts on suspicions that these are being used for terrorist activities.
Earlier, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has been reported to also been monitoring social networking sites to look into clues for criminal activities.
It will be recalled that persons involved in high profile crimes have been discovered to be posting clues of their criminal activities and plans in certain social networking sites.
Colmenares described the US monitoring of cyber space as a “very dangerous preoccupation“ and a threat to constitutional rights.
According to him, tracking social networking accounts of individuals “crosses into the unconstitutional when it enters into closed social network sites or hacks E-mails.“
He warned that these activities also “lead to profiling which is unconstitutional especially if it serves as a prelude to illegal entry into private domains.“
“While people generally join Facebook with the wish to relate to people who consider them friends, CIA monitoring is undertaken by people who consider them enemies,“ Colmenares explained. (Ben R. Rosario)