Over 700 shares of Zamboanga school shooting incident taken down – DICT

• Courtesy of DICT

More than 700 shares of footage related to the recent school shooting incident in Zamboanga City have been taken down following government coordination with social media platforms, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the government has already reached out to Meta and TikTok to have videos related to the incident removed from their platforms and prevent their further circulation online.

“We have reached out to Meta and TikTok to have all videos related to the incident removed from their platforms,” Aguda said.

The DICT continues to ask for the public’s cooperation by refraining from sharing or reposting footage related to the incident.

“We ask the public not to share or repost any videos related to the incident. Please help us prevent these videos from circulating further online,” Aguda said.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) likewise said it is closely monitoring social media activity related to the incident, including footage circulating online.

In an official statement, the CICC said it has coordinated with Meta and TikTok for the immediate removal of the footage to prevent its continued spread and possible public panic.

“Nakikipag-ugnayan na rin kami sa Meta at Tiktok para sa agarang pag-take down nito upang hindi na ito patuloy na kumalat at magdulot ng panic sa publiko o magamit pa sa pag-impluwensiya sa iba,” the CICC said.

The agency also appealed to netizens not to repost videos related to the incident, saying doing so could give further attention or audience to violent content.

“Muli, nanawagan kami sa netizens na huwag na i-repost ang mga video kaugnay ng insidente upang hindi na rin mabigyan ng karagdagang audience o atensyon ang ganitong uri ng karahasan,” the CICC said.

The CICC also urged parents to monitor the social media activity and online content being consumed by minors and to maintain open communication at home.

It added that it continues to coordinate with concerned agencies and stakeholders to monitor online activities related to the incident and take appropriate action.

The shooting happened Tuesday, Aug. 18, at a high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City. Several individuals were affected by the incident, while authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding it.