Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Illegal Access, Interception, and Data Interference
Republic Act No. 10175 (2012), Sections 4(a)(1)-(3), 8
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force.
A computer misuse rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 7 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not access the whole or any part of a computer system without right, intercept a non-public transmission of computer data without right, or intentionally or recklessly alter, damage, delete, or deteriorate computer data without right.
- Reading a public, unauthenticated page without defeating any access control has not itself been held to fall within illegal access, illegal interception, or data interference.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Section 8 punishes a Section 4(a) offense (illegal access, illegal interception, or data interference) with imprisonment of prision mayor (six years and one day to twelve years) or a fine of at least two hundred thousand pesos up to a maximum amount commensurate to the damage incurred, or both.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Section 4(a) makes illegal access (accessing the whole or any part of a computer system without right), illegal interception (intercepting a non-public transmission of computer data without right), and data interference (intentionally or recklessly altering, damaging, deleting, or deteriorating computer data without right) offenses against the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer data and systems.
On a plain reading each offense turns on acting "without right", so reading a public, unauthenticated page without defeating any access control does not itself fall within any of the three. Section 8 punishes a Section 4(a) or 4(b) offense with imprisonment of prision mayor (six years and one day to twelve years) or a fine of at least two hundred thousand pesos up to an amount commensurate to the damage incurred, or both.
When LexLint raises it
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