MTRCB cites online content regulation challenges

MANILA, Philippines – It is currently “physically impossible” to regulate online films and shows, although guidelines on the matter are already being drafted, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) admitted Monday.

“We have met with the different stakeholders and players like Netflix, Fox, Disney and we are in the process of making our guidelines in which they are supposed to follow,” MTRCB chairperson Rachel Arenas said during the agency’s Senate budget hearing.

Arenas, however, admitted it is “physically impossible” for MTRCB to do so, noting the amount of content the agency would have to regulate.

“It would be physically impossible for us to, as of now, to review all the materials coming in from the Internet,” Arenas said.

“Because number one, we don’t know how many millions of materials are those. We only know what’s in Netflix, iFlix, iWant and the things that are already downloadable in our phones, smart TV. But the rest, we actually don’t know,” she added.

Arenas also mentioned the previous question whether MTRCB has jurisdiction over content online.

“If I may just go back to our law, before, when they were asked even before my time if the Internet is included, actually, the response is no. Because it says movie and television materials,” Arenas said.

“Looking at the law again, it says kasi, whatever medium and whatever equipment so that means that it’s sort of a gray area but it may include the Internet,” she added. /gsg