Kinastigo ng Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) ang Meta dahil umano sa pagkukulang nito sa responsibilidad at commitment sa youth safety, kasabay ng pagkakaantala ng pagtalakay sa budget ng ahensya sa House of Representatives.
Sa pahayag nitong Miyerkules, September 16, sinabi ng DICT na nauunawaan at iginagalang nito ang posisyon ng House leadership na ipagpaliban ang budget deliberations habang hindi nareresolba ang matagal nang concerns kaugnay ng Meta.
Pangunahing tinukoy ng DICT ang Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) at Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials (CSAEM), kasama ang online illegal gambling, cyberbullying, social media addiction, depression at iba pang mental health risks na nagbabanta sa mga bata at kabataan.
“Unlike other technology platforms that have demonstrated meaningful cooperation with authorities and concrete progress in safeguarding users, Meta continues to fall short of its responsibility and commitment to youth safety,” pahayag ng DICT.
“With the enormous scale and reach of its services comes a corresponding obligation to implement effective, measurable safeguards, remove harmful content promptly, and cooperate fully and transparently with Philippine authorities. Accountability cannot be optional.”
Sinabi rin ng DICT na kinikilala ni Secretary Henry Aguda ang oversight function ng House. Patuloy aniyang makikipagtulungan ang departamento sa Congress, law enforcement agencies, child protection advocates at responsible technology partners upang palakasin ang online protection ng mga bata.
“The protection of children is non-negotiable. All stakeholders, especially the largest platforms, must be held fully accountable,” diin ng DICT.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, sinabi naman ng Digital Pinoys na hindi dapat maging dahilan ang internal approval process ng Meta upang manatiling nakabinbin ang formalization ng mga commitment nito sa Philippine government.
Ayon sa grupo, nakadalo ito sa ilang engagements sa pagitan ng gobyerno at Meta, kabilang ang meeting sa Singapore, kung saan nakita umano nitong ginawa, tinalakay at napagkasunduan ang mga commitment.
Sinabi ng Digital Pinoys na ipinaalam umano ng Meta sa pamahalaan na sang-ayon na itong lumagda at kailangan lamang dumaan sa internal approval process. Nang hingan umano ng written explanation tungkol dito, nangako rin ang Meta na magsusumite ngunit hindi pa umano ito naibibigay.
“A commitment that is repeatedly made but never put in writing is difficult to measure, difficult to enforce, and ultimately difficult to hold anyone accountable for,” pahayag ng Digital Pinoys.
Tinukoy nito ang OSAEC, CSAEM, nihilistic violent extremism, online scams at iba pang serious online harms bilang mga problemang nangangailangan ng malinaw na responsibilities, timelines at accountability mechanisms.
Ayon pa sa grupo, may mga commitment nang inanunsyo noong August upang mapahusay ang coordination, response times at aksyon laban sa harmful content.
“If Meta is genuinely committed to the measures it has discussed with the Philippine government, then putting those commitments in writing should be the next step-not another commitment that itself has to wait,” pahayag ng Digital Pinoys.
“The Filipino people cannot wait for an endless approval process while we are being plagued by scams, online violence, child safety threats, and other forms of online exploitation. We deserve better.” /Bistado