Apps

Netflix and Spotify will be taxed by the Philippine government

As well as other ‘digital service providers’

Published

July 29, 2020

Rodneil Quiteles

Netflix and Spotify as well as other digital services you’re subscribed to might hike their prices following the latest move by the Philippine government.

The House Ways and Means Panel of the Philippine Congress has approved the bill that proposes the imposition of a 12% VAT (Value Added Tax) to companies, local and foreign, that engage in the exchange of goods and services for monetary value on digital platforms.

Netflix and Spotify were prominently mentioned but the bill will impose the 12% VAT on any digital service provider. It defines such as follows: “an entity which provides digital service or goods to a buyer through an online platform for purposes of buying and selling of goods or services or by making transactions for the provision of digital services on behalf of any person.”

This means most of your online subscriptions will likely be affected. Further expanding the definition, the following also fall under the “digital service provider” category:

third party that acts as a conduit for goods or services offered by a supplier to a buyer and receives commission therefore
platform provider for promotion that uses the internet to deliver marketing messages to attract buyers
host of online auctions conducted through the internet, where the seller sells the product or service to the person who bids the highest price
supplier of digital services to a buyer in exchange for a regular subscription fee over the usage of the said product or service
supplier of electronic and online services that can be delivered through an information technology infrastructure, such as the internet.

We’ve reached out to Netflix and Spotify inquiring how they will respond to this development. We have yet to receive a response as of writing.

Philippine debt climbing

The authors of the bill argue that this will level the playing field between local and foreign companies. The Philippines’ assistant secretary notes that the government could gain a PhP 10 Billion revenue from this measure.

This comes on the heels of another report noting that the Philippines’ debt has breached the PhP 9 Trillion mark. The borrowed funds have been earmarked for COVID-19 response.

However, there still has been no implementation of mass testing and proper contact tracing which have been proven to be effective in containing the spread of the virus. This, despite the Coronavirus cases in the country already breaching the 80,000 mark — well above the number in neighboring countries.

Source: GMA News

Related Topics:coronavirus Netflix Spotify

Apps

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.

Apps

HONOR, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like HONOR, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, HONOR is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either HONOR or Xiaomi.

Apps

Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.