Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday urged officials from Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., to provide a stand on his proposal, which seeks to provide an easier process in revealing the identities of social media users behind defamatory posts and misinformation.
At a Senate hearing, Roy Tan, Meta head of politics and government outreach for the Asia-Pacific region, had explained that their social media platforms currently have a multi-faceted approach to counter disinformation and misinformation.
Tan likewise explained that their firm has established a reporting system for defamation.
“What we are asking you is a very specific proposal. Can we have a proposal by which the identity of the authors can be made public?” Drilon asked.
“What we are saying is this power to enforce accountability should be lodged in our courts because this defines the rights and obligations of our citizens. Under the present system, that authority is lodged in private hands simply because we cannot avail of this remedy as these accounts are anonymous,” he explained.
Tan asserted that there was already a process wherein users can make a report, which Meta reviews before giving the information and contacts of the user who is being reported.
“Basically, if you have a clear legal process, we have also a process. If the court is requesting for the user’s information… we respond to the court in accordance to the law and our terms of service as well,” he said.
But Drilon said the request for the information “defeats” the right to enforce accountability.
At one point in the hearing, Drilon asked Tan if he would oppose a law which would define a process requiring the social media platform to reveal the author of a defamatory language.
Tan, in response, said this question needs further consultation with Meta’s legal team.
Senator Francis Pangilinan, who presides over the hearing, then suggested that Meta provide a position paper which will include the insights and comments of the their legal team.
“We would take into consideration the inputs of Meta with respect to being able to identify anonymous accounts to be able to ensure accountability in terms of materials that is [published],” Pangilinan said.
Tan welcomed this and assured the Senate panel that the firm will work with them.
Drilon, for his part, reiterated that his proposal is not meant to suppress free speech.
“We are trying to find a balance between free speech and accountability, which [is established in] our system today, insofar as traditional media is concerned. The situation today is the media platforms would have the authority to decide whether or not we can enforce accountability and that power is simply exercised by denying or maintaining the power to let these accounts remain anonymous,” Drilon said.
“Allow the free flow of information, allow the information in this area and we transfer the accountability, we move the responsibility of enforcing our rights from these social media platforms to our courts which is really the arbiter of conflicts between citizens,” he added. — BM, GMA News
Drilon wants easier process to reveal social media users behind misinformation, defamation
Source: Pinoy Hub News
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