‘Like a syndicate’: Malacañang wants criminal penalties for troll farms

March 1, 2025 , 09:20 PM

(March 1, 2025) – The Malacañang on Friday urged lawmakers to pass a law penalizing organized online trolling to counter fake news and disinformation online.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) undersecretary Claire Castro said swift action must be taken against troll networks.

“It is really necessary to have a law regarding troll armies. It should have a penalty. This should be considered a criminal act because they are like a syndicate,” said Castro, as quoted in a report from the Philippine Star.

Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Law punishes crimes committed using computers, the internet, and other digital platforms.

But Castro, a lawyer, pointed out that it does not specifically target individuals involved in troll farms. She suggested requiring all content creators to register, adding that the PCO is open to working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to step up efforts against fake news and disinformation.

“I hope our country also has a law to regulate it so that we can really see the true identities of these social media influencers or content creators,” added Castro.

Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr. has said his administration is keen on combatting fake news and disinformation. Marcos highly benefited from them during the 2022 elections, according to fact-checking coalition Tsek.PH.

That same year, Facebook was urged to take down over 100 troll accounts allegedly linked to Marcos’ campaign. Another 120 troll accounts, believed to be state-sponsored, were flagged for targeting critics and left-leaning politicians.

Marcos, who has been accused of whitewashing his family’s past atrocities, has repeatedly denied that he had troll farms.

Last December, a measure aimed at curbing troll farms and disinformation amid the emerging threats of artificial intelligence was filed in the House of Representatives.

(PM)

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