SENIOR Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. today called for legislation that would regulate social media to prevent the dissemination of fake news and other harmful content and at the same time protect free speech and ensure a safe digital space.
Gonzales, who represents Pampanga’s 3rd district, made the appeal at the start of the hearing by the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, Committee on Information and Communications Technology, and Committee on Public Information on the rampant posting of false and malicious content in social media platforms.
The House leader sponsored Resolution No. 286 in behalf of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, its author, which prompted the inquiry.
“To effectively address and promote digital safety, a multi-stakeholder approach must be carried out. Social media companies, cyber security experts and legal professionals must come together to craft an effective and doable legislation. By working together, we can ensure a safer digital landscape while preserving democratic values,” Gonzales said.
“Hinihikayat ko ang aking mga kapwa mambabatas, at lahat ng ating mga panauhin na suportahan ang resolusyong ito upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating digital space. Let us reconfigure our social media platforms with meaningful discourse, innovation, and empowerment rather than a breeding ground for deception and harm,” he said.
He told his colleagues and the resource persons of the three committees that Resolution No. 286 authored by Speaker Romualdez and adopted by the House last Dec. 18, 2024 “proposes the development of improved transparency and accountability mechanisms for social media platforms.”
“Most especially, it calls for an enhanced content moderation, reporting systems, and safeguards against misuse of algorithms. Additionally, digital literacy needs to be prioritized to help our fellow Filipinos discern credible information,” he said.
He said the resolution also calls for the review of Republic Act No. 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, “to address the challenges posed by emerging technologies and harmful online content.”
In his remarks, Gonzales highlighted the importance of social media in today’s world, while stressing the need to fight fake news and malicious content.
“Social media bridges gaps: pinag-uugnay nito ang mga tao, bumubuo ito ng mga komunidad, nagpapalawak ng kamalayan, at nagsusulong ng pagbabahagi ng kaalaman,” he said.
Citing recent surveys, he said there are 86.75 million social media users in the Philippines, equivalent to 73.4 percent of Filipinos.
“Ngunit sa kabila ng napakaraming benepisyong kaakibat nito, social media can also be used as a conduit of inappropriate contents. We all experience browsing our social media platforms and more often, we come across racist, sexists, homophobic, religious and political-based hate contents,” he said.
“Ang mga mapanirang nilalaman na ito ay naglalagay sa panganib sa kaligtasan ng publiko sa pamamagitan ng maling impormasyon, online harassment, mga panlilinlang, at iba pang anyo ng cyber bullying,” he said.
He added that while he and his colleagues affirm the instrumental role of social media in today’s day and age, “there is an overwhelming need to address harmful content, and at the same time, uphold constitutional freedoms, particularly the freedom of speech and expression, which are considered cornerstones of our democracy.”
