PH delegation to meet Meta in Singapore over harmful online content

A Philippine government delegation composed of officials from the country’s cybercrime, law enforcement, telecommunications and legislative sectors is set to meet Meta executives in Singapore to discuss stronger regulation of harmful online content and greater accountability for social media platforms operating in the Philippines.

The delegation will be led by Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda and will include Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Executive Director Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, National Bureau of Investigation Director Matibag, National Telecommunications Commission officials led by Commissioner Ella Blanca Lopez, and some members of the House of Representatives.

The discussions are expected to tackle the government’s concerns over harmful online content, particularly material involving violence and children, the need for faster action from platforms when Philippine authorities raise concerns, and the establishment of a local Meta office in the Philippines to improve accountability and coordination with government agencies.

“Our objective is compliance, not disruption. We will work with platforms that demonstrate a genuine willingness to comply. But deliberate or repeated refusal to meet lawful child protection requirements must have consequences,” Paraiso said.

Part of the discussion will focus on the need for Meta to establish a local office in the Philippines. CICC believes a local presence could provide government agencies with a direct point of coordination, particularly for urgent takedown requests, law enforcement concerns, child protection cases and other issues involving harmful online content.

The meeting comes amid growing government concern over the limited jurisdiction Philippine authorities have over global social media, messaging and streaming platforms.

Paraiso told a Senate hearing last week that law enforcement agencies are often constrained by jurisdictional issues because major platforms operate outside the Philippines. This can leave Philippine authorities dependent on the companies’ own community standards and internal processes when seeking the removal of harmful content.

The issue gained urgency following the August 18 shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, which was livestreamed online. The CICC subsequently coordinated with Meta and other social media platforms to have videos of the incident removed to prevent their further spread.

CICC has since raised the possibility of recommending the blocking of Facebook in the Philippines if Meta continues to fail to comply with Philippine laws and regulatory requirements.

“The government has the capability to block the whole social media site,” Paraiso said, although CICC has stressed that any such move would require further study because of its potential impact on millions of Filipino users.

Malacañang has also said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to the possibility of banning Facebook in the Philippines as government agencies examine concerns involving misinformation, harmful online content and the protection of children.

The government has cited the need for social media platforms operating in the country to respect Philippine rules and cooperate with authorities, particularly during sensitive incidents where harmful content can spread rapidly.

The Singapore meeting is expected to provide both sides an opportunity to establish clearer mechanisms for responding to harmful content, including faster government-platform coordination, stronger compliance with Philippine regulatory requirements and the possibility of Meta maintaining a local office in the country.