LAPTOP REGISTRATION

I am back!

Months since the NBI came out with its proposed laptop registration, people continue giving adverse reactions to the same. For this reason, I have decided to end my “hibernation” to set things clear. Hindi naman pwedeng magpapabugbog na lang kami masyado.

First, let me explain the reason for the proposal.

During the Senate hearing, the NBI said that the proposed Cybercrime Bill is a law that should have been passed years back when the trend of internet connection is “wired”, that is at the time when wireless internet connection, broadband and mobile internet was not yet the trend.

Under the proposed legislation, even if the act of securing information from the ISP and the telcos and data retention have been defined, in a system utilizing a “wireless” hot-spot, only the MAC Address/MAC Id of the laptop or device used to connect to the internet is captured by the system and not the brand of the laptop, and the person behind it. Under these circumstances, since the MAC ID does not pinpoint to the specific laptop and person using it, the idea of
identifying the perpetrator of a crime eventually fails. Investigation becomes inutile so to speak.

I tell you- if you can only visit law enforcement records of cases which get closed “unsolved” because the internet activity was facilitated in a wireless hotspot, you would realize what I am talking about.

Since cybercriminals will eventually discover the deficiencies, technically and legally, just about everyone who intends to commit a crime in the internet will use a wireless hotspot knowing fully well that they cannot be identified, arrested and prosecuted.

When the NBI was asked as to the solution to this, they just said that since this problem is not addressed in the proposed legislation, it may take a separate legislation to possibly register laptops and other devices as a logical fight against cybercriminals. Even the NBI admitted that passing legislation to this effect is quite difficult to effect unlike in other jurisdictions (Singapore) where regulation is already accepted by the citizens.

A blogger in his site said that the act of registering laptops would be similar to asking users to do the police work. The NBI was clearly taken out of context. In the first place, the registration being contemplated in the proposal is one in which the distributors, dealers and retailers would be the ones to register the MAC IDs of the laptops/devices they are selling the customers. Definitely not the end users and this is a one-time registration only. In effect, when a sale is made, the seller (to reiterate, the distributor, dealer or retailer as the case may be) gets to record the name and address of the buyer, and the same together with the MAC ID and laptop brand get submitted to a database to be maintained by government. Being so, when law enforcement gets to identify a MAC ID/Brand, it simply refers to a database in order to determine to whom the laptop is sold. Consequently, even when the laptop has been sold by the original owner, the latter can still be interviewed to inquire on the new owner, and so on and so forth.

I must admit that this system is not fully efficient as it will not cover already existing laptops/ devices prior to “registration era” and those laptops coming in to the country. Nevertheless, in investigations involving such, verification can still be made with the database to search for clues that might give away the manufacturer of the device. This without doubt is testament to the NBI’s policy on “thoroughness” or leaving no stone unturned.

Being so, I certainly do not see anything wrong with such a proposal because it is no different from purchasing a car and having it registered with the nearby Land Transportation Office. Similarly, you buy a firearm and the same is registered with the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Division. You can just imagine when a suspect car flees from a crime scene and authorities do not have a way of verifying to whom it is registered. Or when a gun was used in a crime and authorities face a blank wall when they have no idea as to who used it. Certainly, like laptops, guns and cars were never invented to become instruments of evil yet it cannot be denied that they too can be used in performing illegal activities. And while guns and cars are registered by their owners periodically, device registration is directed towards sellers at a one-time deal only.

Meanwhile, another prominent personality said that registration would eventually lead to censorship and possibly a breach of a person’s much valued privacy. I must admit that this was really funny. Apart from the reasons I have stated above, I do not see any chance that registration can allow another person, government for that matter, to access your computers on the basis of the basic information (to reiterate, MAC Id/Brand) they have about your device. The person who commented about the same may have mistaken registration with “hacking”. Sir, those are two totally different mammals, that we need not make “patol” of your line of thinking anymore.

With this, I hope I have set things clear on the said proposal. I am sure that like any other valid suggestions ordinary citizens make, such a measure would find rough sailing when formalized. Lastly, I hope to be able to write more articles for my loyal readers. Like writing, I miss reading all your comments. God bless.