PCO chief: Stopping fake news Meta’s duty

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Jay Ruiz on Thursday underscored the critical role of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in preventing the spread of disinformation, asserting that even the government is "defenseless" when the platform refuses to remove false content.

During a House tri-committee hearing investigating fake news and online disinformation, Ruiz highlighted an incident where a false memo, purportedly from the Office of the Executive Secretary, circulated online.

Despite certification from the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT)’s Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) that the memo was fake, Ruiz said Meta refused to take it down.

“You know, sir, they didn't remove it. The reason of the platforms is that this is freedom of expression, we have community standards, each user is accountable for his or her account,” Ruiz said.

“So what is this? Are we at the mercy of the platforms? We told them you are not based here, you are not even paying taxes yet, and yet you don’t regulate or stop fake news here in the Philippines,” he added.

Ruiz stressed that the dissemination of false narratives undermines public trust and can distort government efforts to address public needs, adding that platforms like Meta must act responsibly and proactively in curbing misleading content.

To recall, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed efforts to combat fake news and ensure the public receives accurate information, particularly to ensure citizens can fully benefit from government programs like the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” initiative, which aims to provide 20-peso-per-kilo rice to promote food security.

Ruiz cited Singapore's approach, where online platforms can face penalties of up to 6% of their revenue for disseminating disinformation.

"There are penalties against social media platforms that, if you spread fake news, you will be penalized. They are hitting high penalties — 6 percent of profit is what they do," the PCO secretary said.

Ruiz also warned of the profound consequences of unchecked fake news on the country’s democratic process, especially during election periods.

“What if people base their decisions on fake news or lies? Imagine if our voters vote based on false information. What kind of generation, what kind of democracy do we have?” Ruiz said.

“Eventually, our people will no longer decide based on informed decisions, but based on lies. We agree that there is a right to information, but that right should be accurate information,” he added.