Ultimatum to Meta: Philippines demand measures against fake news

The Philippine government is demanding that Facebook's parent company Meta take stronger measures against fake news on its platforms. In a letter dated April 10, the Presidential Office and the Department of Digital Affairs threatened legal action if the company does not present an implementation plan within one week. Government representatives speak of a threat to national security and accuse the company of violating applicable laws.

According to the Philippine authorities, the demand is based on circulating false reports that could lead to panic and instability given the country's current economic situation. The government cites fabricated reports about illnesses or the deaths of government members, as well as misleading warnings about energy shortages, price increases, and crises in the financial sector, as examples. This poses risks to public order, economic stability, and national security, according to the statement.

In the letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the authorities demand that high-risk disinformation be identified proactively. In addition, there should be an accelerated deletion process for posts reported by state agencies, as well as a contact person at management level available around the clock. Meta should introduce stricter procedures for combating fake news and produce regular transparency reports.

Criminal prosecution threatened

If Meta allows the seven-day ultimatum to expire without an implementation plan for the demanded measures, the Philippine government threatens the US company with legal consequences. The government reserves the right to take measures ranging from criminal investigations to restrictions on platform operations in the Philippines.

Violations of the national penal code and the Cybercrime Law, as well as aiding and abetting criminal offenses in the digital space, are to serve as legal leverage. Since, according to the authorities, false reports can also trigger panic buying and artificial price distortions, Meta is also being held jointly responsible for violations of the national price law. Criminal consequences for market manipulation, usury, and illegal hoarding of goods are threatened here. Meta has not yet commented on the Philippine demands.

Proceedings in the EU still open

The Philippines is not the only country demanding more measures against fake news from Meta. In the EU, the Digital Services Act, in effect since 2022, addresses this issue. After its entry into force, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton also sent a warning letter to Mark Zuckerberg. The EU Commission subsequently began a review of violations, which also includes insufficient measures against disinformation campaigns.

Overall, the company faces fines of up to 6 percent of its global annual turnover. While the proceedings are still pending, a Bertelsmann study shows that the majority of EU citizens want more action against disinformation online.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been critical of the DSA in the past, counting it among an "ever-increasing number of laws that institutionalize censorship". He therefore sees a future model where users can contextualize content themselves, as is possible on the X platform, for example. There, a community-rated note is permanently displayed below a post. So far, commissioned fact-checkers have been politically biased and have "destroyed more trust than they have created, at least in the US," according to Zuckerberg.

(vbr)