Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has sharply ramped up its removal of election-related disinformation in the Philippines—some within just an hour—following a cybersecurity directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
DICT Secretary Henry R. Aguda praised Meta’s swift response but urged the tech giant to maintain its vigilance beyond the 12 May polls. “This urgency must continue beyond the elections,” Aguda said, emphasizing the government’s ongoing monitoring efforts through the DICT and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).
The move aligns with Marcos’ push to secure Philippine cyberspace and Aguda’s “digital bayanihan” campaign to combat harmful content online. The DICT also called on other platforms to join efforts in fighting long-term threats like disinformation.
At the 2 May meeting between DICT officials and regional representative Genixon David, Meta focused on enhancing enforcement mechanisms and speeding up response times.
The DICT and CICC reiterated their commitment to building a safer digital environment under the Bagong Pilipinas initiative.
