Deterrent or nuisance?

Is the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 a deterrent against cyber crimes or simply a nuisance? Data from the National Bureau of Investigation show the law serves as a deterrent. The NBI’s Cybercrime Division says the agency handled a total of 332 cyber-related crime cases in the first half of 2012. The figure dwindled to 145 cases from July to November of 2012, at the height of public debates and discussions on the controversial measure. President Benigno Aquino III signed the measure into law last September, but the Supreme Court has stopped its implementation “until further orders from the court.” NBI Cybercrime Division assistant head Vic Lorenzo told Rappler that based on the figures alone, even just the media spotlight on the law has a “deterrent” effect.

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