A bill that seeks to bar taking photos of people without their permission is under intense discussion in the Congress in the Philippines, said Carlos Zarate, a representative from Bayan Muna, the leftist political party here.

"Even an innocuous selfie with public figures at the background would be liable for 'intrusion of privacy'," he was quoted a saying in ABS-cbnnews.com.

House Bill 4807 or the "Protection against Personal Intrusion Act" defines "intrusion of personal privacy" as "any person who willfully intrudes into the personal privacy of another, without the consent of that person and with the intent to gain or profit therefrom, shall be civilly liable to the offended party".

"HB 4807 will punish people taking photos, video or even audio recording and anything claimed as a personal/family matter even of public officials and personalities," Zarate added.

The bill has wide ranging implications on press freedom and even the social media, the report added.