A landmark agreement between the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and social media giant Meta will result in the improvement of mechanisms for detecting, reporting, and taking down disinformation and inappropriate content on Facebook.
Under the agreement, Meta will flag child exploitation content faster, reporting such posts to local authorities and remove them from the platform. It will also monitor and remove financial scams – including fake investment schemes that have proliferated on Facebook through deepfakes of public officials, prominent business leaders, and celebrities.
It also covers phishing operations, digital fraud, and deepfakes deployed to tarnish the reputations of public servants, business leaders, and private individuals, as part of a broader effort with the Philippine government to combat online scams and misinformation.
“Your kids, your money, and your reputation are now better protected on Facebook,” the DICT said.
It remains unclear, however, how content will be flagged and who will determine whether posts are misleading or contain false narratives.
Meta said it would end its third-party fact-checking program in early 2025, and shift to a community notes system, citing alleged bias among partner organizations. The move drew scrutiny during the House Tri-Committee’s probe into disinformation, where lawmakers pressed Meta officials on their moderation systems.
Meta clarified that the scrapping of the fact-checking program would take effect first in the United States, with no clear timeline for global implementation. As a compromise, its representatives said the company is open to helping craft local regulations governing social media platforms, including itself, to address the spread of disinformation online.
Agreements, programs, and compromises are part of the work that is necessary as the public and private sector work together to come up with an effective system against disinformation and misinformation on social media. It is a global problem that is yet to be solved by most countries that are also grappling with it, and cooperation will be key.
Let us hope that this agreement between the DICT and social media giant Meta will result in tangible results that can regulate the platform, making it safer and more trustworthy for our society that has become a little bit too dependent on it.*
