DICT: Meta agreed to demote Facebook posts which gov't tagged as fake news
Meta, the company that operates Facebook, has agreed to demote in the social media platform's newsfeeds posts that the Philippine government would flag as fake news, Information and Communication Technology Secretary Henry Aguda told a joint House committee inquiry on Thursday.
Addressing a hearing of the House Tri Committee on the proliferation of disinformation online, Aguda 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 Thuesday to inform the agency that it would implement a demotion mechanism on posts that the government would flag as disinformation.
"Pumapayag na sila ngayon na kapag CICC o PCO o any duly authorized agency ng gobyerno, kapag nagpadala kami sa kanila na ito po, fake news 'to, they will demote in their feeds," Aguda said.
"Meaning, hindi naman totally mawawala pero mababawasan. Malaking bagay po 'yun. And we acknowledge na sumagot is Meta," he added.
(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.)
Still, Aguda said the DICT would wish for legislation on disinformation for a proactive approach against fake news.
At the hearing, the Presidential Communications Office chief Secretary Jay Ruiz and Aguda proposed that social firms which allow false information to be distributed on their platforms should be penalized.
'When you allow fake news in your platform, dapat may karampatang parusa sa [iyo mula] sa gobyerno. Kasi nga ilaw ang nagpapasok niyan e. Your platform is being used to be a purveyor of ignorance. You allow it,' said Ruiz, a former television reporter.
'As a social media platform, dapat lahat 'yan…dapat nalilinis mo 'yan. With the advent of new technology, deep fakes, artificial internet intelligence, and fake news spread like wildfire. It will reach hundreds of millions in just hours,' he added.
Aguda likened the situation to a mall owner who won't allow fraudulent merchants and shops inside its premises.
'A mall won't allow stores which sell fake products inside its premises. So sa akin po, ang responsibility dyan, 'yung platform,' Aguda said.
He also said that there was no reason for social media platforms to be spared from regulation because, under existing laws, broadcast contents, including those in journalism platforms, as well as movies and television shows, are regulated by both state-run and private entities.
'The KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas) regulate themselves, while MTRCB (Movie and Television Review Classificatio Board (MTRCB) regulated televisin and radio broacast. Social media, on the other hand, has a reach 20 times larger than a normal broadcast,' Aguda said.
'Dapat sila [ang ipenalize] kasi kumikita po sila ng pera pa sa platform na yan. Sila ang mga pinakamayayamang kumpanya sa mundo eh,' he added. –NB, GMA Integrated News
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