Filipino netizens may soon face a temporary blackout from Facebook and other platforms as the government tightens its campaign against harmful online content, according to a report from The Philippine Star.
At a press briefing held at the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) headquarters in Quezon City, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda revealed that the agency has been flooded with “escalated” complaints over illegal online vape sales and the slow removal of fake news flagged by the DICT.
Pressed to identify which platform is under the most scrutiny, Aguda pointed to Facebook. “Actually, the reason there is so much harmful content on that platform is because they are the biggest,” he said. He noted that around 80 percent of social media users in the country are on Facebook, making it both the largest source of problems and a vital tool for connection and commerce.
CICC deputy executive director Renato Paraiso added that while talks with social media and e-commerce companies are ongoing, persistent non-compliance could lead to drastic measures. “There really are contentious issues,” he admitted. “But… there are some things that are non-negotiable when it comes to national security and concerns on occurrence of destabilization. Those who would not comply, we would be compelled to exercise the remedies available to us. And one of these is to block these sites.”
Paraiso warned Filipinos to prepare for what he called a possible “holiday” from non-compliant platforms. “Whether it is your social media platform or your marketing platforms, you may not see them for a while until they comply. So we are giving you ample warning,” he stressed.
