Philippines accuses Facebook of censoring pro-government content
[MANILA] The Philippines accused Facebook on Tuesday of censoring pro-government content which it said was tantamount to curtailing freedom of speech and called for new measures to regulate the social media giant to "level the playing field".
In the Southeast Asian country, President Rodrigo Duterte has been bolstered by establishing a powerful support base on social media platforms like Facebook, a factor that was instrumental in his election victory in 2016.
But Facebook last week dismantled a network of accounts that originated from China and the Philippines for engaging in"coordinated inauthentic behaviour", including one that Manila says it supports for its anti-communism stance.
The takedown drew the ire of Mr Duterte who warned Facebook on Monday night that it should explain what its purpose is in his country if it wants to continue to operate.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Mr Duterte would not shut down Facebook, but he wants to understand how it regulates content in the Philippines where 65 per cent of its 107 million people are users.
Platforms like Facebook have become political battlegrounds in the Philippines, but the Duterte administration has denied allegations that it has allowed the abuse and manipulation of social media by its supporters to harass or discredit opponents.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
Mr Roque also questioned Facebook's partnership with local fact-checkers Rappler and Vera Files, online news organisations that he said were critical of the Duterte government.
"We need new policies to level the playing field on Facebook," Mr Roque said, adding Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself has called for regulation of online content.
Facebook and Rappler did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Vera Files declined to comment.
Facebook has been under fire in recent years for its lax approach to fake news reports, state-backed disinformation campaigns and violent content spread on its services, prompting calls for new regulations around the world.
Following such criticism, Mr Zuckerberg had said the company would prioritise "trustworthy" news in its feed by identifying high-quality outlets.
REUTERS
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Technology
Meta’s results are best viewed through rose-tinted AI glasses
'Harvesting data': Latin American AI startups transform farming
After long peace, Big Tech faces US antitrust reckoning
Tech’s cash crunch sees creditors turn ‘violent’ with one another
Tech millionaires chase billionaire tax shields with ‘swap fund’
Elon Musk’s Starlink profits are more elusive than investors think