NPC warns vs. giving online apps access to your phonebook

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Tuesday urged the public to exercise caution when applying for loans through online lending applications, particularly those that ask for access to personal information such as a mobile phone’s contact list.

The commission warned that illegal online lending apps typically request broad permissions to access a user’s mobile phone.

“Isang sign na huwag niyo nang ituloy ay kapag hinihingi po yung permiso niyo para ma-access ang inyong phonebook at inyong photo gallery, at hinihingi yung consent niyo for everything," NPC Deputy Commissioner Jose Amelito Belarmino II said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

(One sign that you should not proceed is when they ask for permission to access your phonebook and photo gallery and seek consent for everything.)

"Ibig sabihin binigyan niyo sila ng permiso para ma-access yung telepono niyo at ayun ginagamit nilang paraan para makapag-debt shaming,” he added.

(This means you have given them access to your phone, which they use as a way to engage in debt shaming.)

The NPC said it has received numerous reports of harassment after lending apps gained access to borrowers’ contact lists.

“Karamihan ng natatanggap naming reklamo is yung company ina-access yung kanilang phonebook, ina-access yung kanilang photo gallery, pati yung kanilang social media," he said.

(Most of the complaints we receive involve companies accessing borrowers’ phonebooks, photo galleries, and even their social media accounts.)

The online lending platform then uses access to the contact details to harass a non-paying client, Belarmino said.

"So ang nangyayari ho, kapag hindi kayo nakabayad sa inyong utang ay bubuksan nila ang inyong contact list tapos ite-text yung mga nasa contact list niyo—primarily yung mga katrabaho niyo, kaopisina, at inyong pamilya,” Belarmino said.

(If borrowers fail to pay their loans, these companies open their contact lists and send messages to people on it—primarily co-workers, office mates, and family members.)

He added that some lending apps also post debt-related content on borrowers’ social media accounts or engage in other forms of harassment.

“Aside from that, puwede silang mag-post sa social media niyo… at may iba pang uri ng harassment tulad ng tuluy-tuloy na pagtawag o pagte-text sa mga taong nasa contact list na hindi naman guarantor sa utang,” Belarmino said.

(They can also post on your social media accounts and resort to other forms of harassment, such as persistent calls or messages to people in your contact list who are not even loan guarantors.)

The commission said it is coordinating with various government agencies to combat illegal online lending operations, including the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Philippine National Police.

“Mayroon kaming 24/7 na pagbabantay online kung may na-breach na datos o kung may online lending application na naglalabas ng impormasyong hindi naman dapat ilabas," Belarmino said.

(We monitor online activity 24/7 for data breaches or improper data disclosures by online lending applications.)

"Paulit-ulit din naming pinaaalalahanan ang mga data controller na dapat may sapat na security measures ang kinokolekta nilang data at ginagamit lamang ito para sa lehitimong pagproseso,” he added.

(We also repeatedly remind data controllers to implement adequate security measures and to use collected data only for legitimate processing.)

The NPC said administrative fines and criminal prosecution may be imposed on illegal online money lenders.—MCG, GMA Integrated News