Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel on Thursday proposed that Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, be required to obtain a congressional franchise before it can operate in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, two Cabinet secretaries asserted that social media platforms have the primary responsibility to ensure that content providers do not violate the law, particularly in spreading fake news, deep fakes, and AI-generated disinformation.
Pimentel, vice chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, cited Meta’s refusal to take down false content and lack of tax compliance.
“I totally agree with the observation of (Presidential Communications Office) Secretary Jay (Ruiz) that we are at the mercy of Meta platforms,” Pimentel said during a hearing of the House Tri-Comm chaired by Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez on fake news and online disinformation.
“Come to think of it, Mr. Chair, our government is already the ones to request Meta platforms to take down the fake news of that memorandum that was issued purportedly by ES (Executive Secretary Lucas) Bersamin, when they don’t even listen to the info,” Pimentel said in mixed English and Filipino.
He noted that Meta operates in the country without paying proper taxes and fails to follow regulatory standards.
“Another example is that Meta platforms are not even paying taxes to the Philippine government. What we ask from them is self-regulation. However, as I have said, they ignore us,” Pimentel added.
“So it’s about time, perhaps, if they cannot have self-regulation, it must be this government, this administration, to be the one to impose regulation. And that is why, Mr. Chair, I think we should really study if it is possible that we should require this Meta to get a franchise from Congress for them to operate here. We can regulate them,” he stressed.
Secretaries Henry Aguda of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and Jay Ruiz of the Presidential Communications Office also testified at the Tri-Comm hearing.
Aguda said that Meta has agreed to demote in the social media platform’s news feeds posts that the Philippine government would flag as fake news.
He also said Kumu, Google, and TikTok had agreed in a meeting on Wednesday to comply with whatever the government would say to protect the truth.
Aguda said Meta wrote the Department of Information and Communication Technology on Thursday to inform the agency that it would implement a demotion mechanism on posts that the government would flag as disinformation.
“Meta has agreed that if the Cybercrime Information and Coordinating Center, the Presidential Communications Office, or any duly authorized agency of the government flags a post as fake news, it will be demoted in the newsfeeds. They won’t be removed, but they will be decreased. That is a substantial development. And we acknowledge that Meta responded,” he said.
Responding to a query by Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop on who has the responsibility to fact-checking articles on social media, Aguda said the burden lies with the platforms, likening them to shopping malls that profit from counterfeit goods.
He also pointed out that traditional broadcast media in the Philippines are subject to self-regulation and oversight through agencies such as the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
On the other hand, he pointed out that social media platforms, despite having far greater reach, can operate with impunity.
“The reach of the social media platform is greater, times 10, times 20 of the normal broadcast. So, Mr. Chair, with due respect to the platforms, they should because they are still making money on that platform and they are one of the richest companies in the world,” he added.
Ruiz echoed Aguda’s view and called for legislative action to address the spread of disinformation using new technologies.
“If you allow fake news to get into your platform, there has to be penalties from government because you allow it get into you,” he warned.
Ruiz urged the lawmakers to include deep fakes and artificial intelligence in proposed legislation targeting disinformation.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Solon pushes for Meta congressional franchise requirement”
