DICT, Meta partner for safer internet in PH

The Department of Information and Communications Technology and Meta have reached an agreement to strengthen online safety in the Philippines. The partnership focuses on protecting children, blocking scammers, and addressing deepfakes on social media platforms such as Facebook.

Why It Matters: Online scams, child exploitation, and manipulated content continue to affect Filipino users. A formal agreement between the government and a major platform could lead to faster detection, reporting, and removal of harmful content.

As reported by the Philippine News Agency, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the commitment was prioritized under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, with support from Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of Congress.

Under the agreement, Meta committed to improve detection of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children content, speed up reporting to authorities, and remove flagged material more quickly.

The deal also covers financial scams, including fake investment schemes, phishing attacks, and other forms of digital fraud. DICT said the goal is to prevent scammers from targeting Filipinos through social media.

Deepfakes are also included in the agreement. The partnership aims to address manipulated content that damages reputations and spreads misinformation online.

With these commitments in place, will Filipino users soon see fewer scams, safer spaces for children, and stronger action against deepfakes?