Cheyenne Suarez

DICT backs stricter rules for online content

Article (news)

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div>MANILA— The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it is working with major social media platforms to curb the spread of disinformation while supporting proposed legislation that seeks to regulate online content without infringing on free speech.&quot;We coordinate closely with Meta, TikTok, and all the other platforms para i-apply nila yung sarili nilang community standards. In fact, each platform has a community standard na bawal ang disinformation,” DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said.He acknowledged, however, that advances in technology have made it increasingly difficult to stop the spread of false content.&quot;Ang problema lang, with the state of technology right now, especially with deep fake, nakakalusot. At saka yung mga gumagawa niyan, pag may tine-take down ka na fake site, ang bilis mag-regenerate,&quot; he said.Aguda said the DICT is urging platforms to require verified identities and to clearly label content generated or assisted by artificial intelligence.This followed the release of a Pulse Asia Survey that said a majority of Filipinos consider disinformation a major issue, according to a Pulse Asia survey released Monday.The July 2026 Ulat ng Bayan survey found that 72 percent of adults consider the deliberate spread of false or misleading information a &quot;big problem&quot; in the country. Twenty-four percent were undecided, while only 4 percent said it is a small problem.The findings come amid the widespread use of the internet and social media in the country.Pulse Asia found that 85 percent of Filipino adults use the internet. And nearly all internet users get their news, including news about government and politics, from Facebook.<div>How Filipinos judge online information </div>Despite these concerns, only 56 percent of respondents said they would verify conflicting information by consulting another trustworthy source.Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes said the challenge lies in who people consider to be a trustworthy source.The survey also found that only 35 percent of respondents said they would rely on news organizations to determine whether online information is credible, while 33 percent said they would instead rely on their personal beliefs.“Pag sinabing mong find another trusted source… Ang question ay sino ang trustworthy sa kanila? Maaaring ang kanilang pinaniniwalaan sa social media ay isang popular na podcaster. Maaaring ang kanilang pinaniniwalaan ay isang news outfit na hindi naman bahagi ng legacy media na nagve-verify ng sources,” he said.“Pwedeng yung nababasa nila ay totoo, pero nila-label nilang disinformation dahil hindi yun yung kanilang pinapanigan… Masasabi natin may emosyonal na aspeto yung kanilang paniniwala e,” he added.The survey also found that 41 percent of respondents are likely to believe information if it is widely shared online, while 44 percent said they could not say whether they would believe such information.Holmes said the findings are also concerning because social media algorithms tend to amplify content users have previously engaged with, while the spread of online content remains largely unregulated.“Kung ano ang madalas mong tinitignan yun ang ibinabalik sayo. Meron (ding) napabalita recently na merong nagvaviral sa Facebook ngunit ito’y talagang parang operation na may pinapaburang politika at pinaggagastusan nila, bino-boost talaga ang channel,” he added.Holmes said the findings also reflect the country&#x27;s highly polarized political landscape, particularly amid divisive national issues such as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and the flood control investigations.“Kaya sa mindanao, sa pangkabuuan, pinagkakatiwalaan nila ang Bise Presidente pero hindi nila pinagkakatiwalaan ang Presidente. Kung anuman ang pahayag ng Bise Presidente, mas maaaring pinaniniwalaan yun ng mga nasa lugar na yun. Pero kung anuman ang hinahayag ng Presidente, maaaring yun ang tinitignan nilang fake news o disinformation,” he said.<div>Fighting disinformation with transparency </div>Asked how disinformation can be addressed in such a polarized environment, Holmes said greater transparency from public institutions is essential.Holmes cited the impeachment trial of Duterte as an example, saying that releasing the Vice President&#x27;s bank and tax records would allow the public to judge the evidence for themselves rather than rely on competing narratives online.“Dedesisyunan yan ng mga senador. Pag sinabi nilang sige, buksan natin, pakita natin sa mga mamamayan, edi mas maganda yun kasi makikita mo talaga anong nilalaman ng dokumento. Pero pag sinabi nilang hindi inadmissible yan, hindi pwedeng buksan yan kasi may confidentiality dyan, edi hindi na malalaman ng tao na kung totoo yung alegasyon, na hindi maipaliwanag ng Bise Presidente ang kanyang kayamanan,” said Holmes.“Pag pinigilan yun, baka lalong magkaroon ng kaguluhan. Lalong mananatili yung polarisasyon sa ating lipunan at yung kamalian ng pananaw ng iba’t ibang grupo dahil sa kakulangan ng totoong impormasyon,” he added.<div>Proposed measures </div>Meanwhile, Aguda said the DICT is also coordinating with lawmakers on pending measures that seek to establish stricter rules on online content while safeguarding freedom of expression.&quot;May pending bills na sa Congress to provide more stringent guidelines on how you post content. Ayaw nating mabawasan yung freedom of expression and free speech, pero gusto rin naman nating ma-manage yung disinformation,&quot; he said.Aguda said House leaders have indicated that legislation on social media regulation, fake news and online financial scams will be among the measures lawmakers are expected to prioritize this year.

"Ang problema lang, with the state of technology right now, especially with deep fake, nakakalusot," said DICT Sec. Henry Aguda.

"Ang problema lang, with the state of technology right now, especially with deep fake, nakakalusot," said DICT Sec. Henry Aguda.