Two senior Philippine cabinet officials have written directly to Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, demanding the tech company overhaul how it handles disinformation on its platforms or face regulatory and legal action from Manila.
The joint letter, dated April 10, 2026, was signed by Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez. It frames the issue as a matter of national security, citing the ongoing global fuel crisis as a backdrop that has made the public increasingly vulnerable to misleading content.
“In this environment, the rapid proliferation of false, misleading, and panic-inducing content—particularly those relating to oil prices, economic disruptions, and government actions—poses a direct and escalating threat to public order, economic confidence, and national security,” the letter read.
Among the categories of disinformation flagged as high-risk are fabricated claims about the President’s health or death, false advisories about energy lockdowns and supply shortages designed to trigger panic buying, content targeting banks to erode public confidence, fake announcements attributed to law enforcement or the military, and coordinated inauthentic behavior directed at government officials.
“The scale and velocity of such content on Meta’s platforms significantly amplify these risks,” the officials wrote, adding that existing platform safeguards have proven inadequate.
Manila’s five-point compliance demand includes enhanced automated detection of disinformation and bot networks, a fast-tracked government-flagging and takedown system for content deemed a threat to public safety, round-the-clock coordination through a senior Meta focal point, clear escalation procedures with enforceable timelines, and regular transparency reports on enforcement actions.
The letter invoked Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code on unlawful use of means of publication and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 as its legal basis. It named the National Telecommunications Commission, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center, and the Department of Justice as agencies that could be drawn into any regulatory response.
“The persistence of these content categories demonstrates that existing safeguards are not commensurate with the current level of public risk,” the letter stated.
Meta has been given 48 hours to acknowledge receipt of the letter and seven calendar days to submit a concrete implementation plan. GMA News Online, which obtained the letter, said it had sought comment from Meta’s Philippine office.
