Philippines: Announced NPC investigation regarding a potential breach of personal data involving compromised accounts on the mobile application GCash

On 12 May 2023, the National Privacy Commission (NPC) announced an investigation of a potential breach of personal data involving compromised accounts on the GCash mobile application. The investigation was opened following a technical incident that occurred on 10 May 2023, which led to the temporary suspension of GCash app operations. The NPC's Complaints and Investigation Division (CID) states that since 9 May 2023, it has been actively monitoring the situation due to reports circulating about GCash users experiencing suspicious transactions on their accounts. The aim of the investigation is to determine the existence and scope of the breach, as well as any potential violations of the Data Privacy Act of 2012.