Palace Cautious on Social Media Platform Licensing Proposal

The Presidential Palace acknowledged the merit in a proposal requiring social media platforms to be licensed before operating in the Philippines, citing recent school shootings believed to be influenced by online content. However, it maintained that further studies are needed to assess the potential impacts. During a press briefing in Ilocos Norte, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro stated that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. found it difficult to comprehend the circumstances of the South Cotabato school shooting, which resulted in three deaths, including the perpetrator. Castro explained, “Regarding the proposal to require licensing for social media platforms, it’s a good proposal, but we need to study its potential effects – there could be positives, negatives, impacts on businesses, and on other users of these platforms.” This statement followed criticism directed at the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) for its ultimatum to Discord, demanding the platform designate a country representative. While not directly addressing the Discord issue, Castro issued a general warning to social media platforms that do not cooperate with the government. “The President must use his ‘strong political will’ against possibly errant social media platforms that do not help the government to stop these types of violence,” she concluded. Source: GMA News Philippines