House Summons Meta CEO Zuckerberg Over Child Safety, Defers DICT Budget

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 16, summoned Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg to respond to concerns over child safety on its platforms. The House also deferred action on the proposed P19.49-billion budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and its attached agencies for 2027 pending resolution of issues involving Meta and online safety. The DICT, in a social media post on Wednesday evening, said the issues with Meta were related to the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (CSAEM). These were seen as “grave threats” demanding action and accountability. In addition to the OSAEC and CSAEM issues, further harms were also being facilitated or amplified on major platforms, including online illegal gambling, cyberbullying, social media addiction, depression, and related mental health risks that might endanger Filipinos, especially the young. The DICT added that Meta Platforms “continues to fall short of its responsibility and commitment to youth safety.” The company’s scale and reach requires an obligation from them to set up proper safeguards, remove harmful content promptly, and cooperate with Philippine authorities. ‘Accountability cannot be optional’ The DICT, in its statement, said it would continue taking Meta to task for any missteps it makes, adding that “accountability cannot be optional.” “The safety and welfare of Filipino children must remain paramount. Technology companies that operate in the Philippines must be held to the highest standards of responsibility. Persistent failure to address these risks erodes public trust and cannot be tolerated,” it added. In a separate DICT post early on Thursday morning, the House of Representatives said it summoned Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to face the DICT to respond to its concerns surrounding harmful online content and platform accountability, alongside hopefully setting up measures to improve online safety for Philippine users. – Rappler.com