Following a direct mandate from the President and recent Senate inquiries into digital safety, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has secured a series of high-level commitments from META (Facebook) to drastically intensify the crackdown on illegal online activities in the Philippines.
In a pivotal meeting, DICT leadership met with META’s Public Policy Head for Indonesia and the Philippines, Berni Moestafa, and META Philippines Public Policy Head, Gio Tingson. The dialogue resulted in a landmark agreement focused on three critical pillars of digital security:
-
Eradicating Child Exploitation (OSAEC): META has committed to “stronger platform enforcement,” deploying advanced detection tools to identify, report, and remove content related to the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.
-
Combating Financial Scams: Both parties agreed to deepen coordination to proactively curb fraudulent investment schemes, phishing, and digital deception that target Filipino consumers.
-
Countering Deepfakes: In response to the rise of AI-manipulated media, META pledged reinforced action against deepfakes used to mislead the public or damage the reputations of public officials and private citizens alike.
This breakthrough follows discussions within the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and underscores a shift toward greater platform accountability. By aligning META’s technical capabilities with the government’s regulatory directives, the partnership aims to build a more secure digital ecosystem. “This is a strong signal that when the government and the private sector act together, real progress can be achieved,” the DICT stated. “We are moving toward a digital space that is not only innovative but also accountable and safe for every Filipino.”
The DICT will continue to monitor these implementations to ensure that the platforms used by millions of Filipinos remain trustworthy and resilient against emerging cyber threats.
