DICT to Zuckerberg: Take down deepfakes, fake news on Facebook

National

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has formally urged Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to address the growing spread of fake news and AI-generated deepfakes on Facebook, warning that failure to act could lead to the platform’s suspension in the Philippines.

DICT Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda shared that he has sent a letter to Zuckerberg, pressing Meta to take stronger action against harmful content turning Facebook into a “toxic online space.”

Citing an interview with dzBB Super Radyo, a report by Philstar stated that Aguda noted the spread of deepfakes and fake news is not limited to Facebook but is also affecting messaging platforms like Viber.

“We explained our position that it’s better if we cooperate in the takedown of these contents,” Aguda said.

The DICT is asking Meta to deploy more content moderation teams in the Philippines to respond quickly to harmful content, in line with the platform’s own community standards.

Aguda recalled that Facebook had moderation teams in the Philippines until 2018 before moving them to Singapore, despite the country having around 80 million social media users.

The DICT hinted at possible sanctions if Meta fails to act, citing Brazil and other countries that have moved to hold platforms accountable for harmful content.

However, Aguda said he remains hopeful the matter will not escalate now that the DICT has directly reached out to Zuckerberg.(Hilary Natalie Berongoy, HNU Comm Intern)