By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
A congressional inquiry into the alleged “rampant posting of false and malicious content on social media platforms” was proposed by seven lawmakers from the House of Representatives.
Said proposal is enclosed in a resolution authored by Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and Reps. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila, and Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod Party-list.
The House leaders suggested that the investigation shall be conducted jointly by the House Committees on Public Order and Safety, Information and Communications Technology, and on Public Information.
Moreover, they pointed out that due to the interconnected nature of technological, informational and public safety concerns, it is imperative for the three committees to conduct a joint inquiry in aid of legislation on the impact of false and malicious content in social media.
The seven lawmakers pointed out in the resolution how the rapid growth of social media platforms has enabled dissemination of information that can deceive the masses, interfere with public discourse and erode trust in established institutions.
Likewise, they lamented how “unscrupulous individuals” capitalize on fake and malicious content to compromise public safety and order by promoting scams, cyberbullying and other acts of malice online.
However, they stressed that going after nefarious netizens should not come at the expense of online safety and constitutional freedoms, such as freedom of speech and expression, citing the need for a collaborative approach among relevant committees to seal loopholes in existing legislation and formulate guidelines to weed out harmful online content while upholding the rights of individuals to engage in a free and open discourse.
Gonzales and his colleagues vowed to make the deliberations, findings and recommendations of the joint inquiry available to the public “to promote transparency and foster trust in the process.”
The proposed inquiry would be guided by the following principles and goals:
– Uphold freedom of speech. Ensure all proposed measures align with constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and expression, and prevent any undue censorship.
– Identify gaps of legislation. Review existing laws, particularly RA No. 10175, to identify gaps and recommend amendments that address the challenges posed by emerging technologies and harmful online content.
– Enhance social media platform accountability. Suggest proposals to improve transparency and accountability mechanisms for social media platforms, including enhanced content moderation, reporting systems and safeguards against misuse of algorithms.
– Combat cybercrimes. Recommend measures to address cybercrimes such as scams, cyberbullying and harassment arising from false and malicious online content.
– Protect digital safety and public trust. Propose public awareness campaigns to improve digital literacy and the ability of users to discern credible information and report harmful content.
– Include stakeholders in the process. Engage key stakeholders such as representatives from social media companies, cybersecurity experts, civil society organizations, and legal experts to ensure a balanced and effective approach to combating harmful content. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)
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