Our mobile phones are a gateway to the world: for news and entertainment, holding our personal details and banking account information, the place we conduct our friendships, and where we embark on romances. Phones are a treasure trove of information, which is why countries like the Philippines want to access them.
In this episode of Techtonic, host Chris Stokel-Walker speaks to Mong Palatino, former Filipino congressman, now activist and writer, about a new law requiring users to hand over their names and government IDs to register their SIM cards.
Is this to police citizens, or is it a crackdown on dissent? Mong tells Chris what it means to sign over your digital life to the authorities.
Producers: Christopher Hooton and Nicola Kelly