Press group ‘alarmed’ by government proposal to regulate ‘fake news’

June 6, 2025 , 08:47 PM

By Rodolfo Dacleson II

(June 6, 2025) – A journalists’ group on Friday expressed alarm over a proposal for the government to declare certain content as “fake news,” raising concerns that this could be “weaponized.”

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said that “robust freedom of information policy, transparency from government, and an emphasis on critical thinking and media and information literacy” would be more effective in fighting misinformation on social media than relying on government regulation.

“We recognize the threat that disinformation poses on discourse and on democracy but we have also seen how the charge of ‘fake news’ has been weaponized in the previous administration and in the present one,” said NUJP in a statement.

During the House tri-committee hearing on Thursday, Department of Information and Communication Technology Sec. Henry Aguda said Meta, the parent company of Facebook, agreed to demote in its platform posts the Philippine government would flag as “fake news.”

Presidential Communications Office Sec. Jay Ruiz also stressed that while social media platforms are already self-regulating to curb the spread of false information online, “it has to be the government who should give the standards.”

NUJP also cautioned against requiring social media companies to apply for franchises to operate in the Philippines, saying the process could be “politically charged.”

ALSO READ: Government urged to require Meta to secure congressional franchise

The group urged social media platforms to bolster their self-regulation by enforcing community standards, supporting third-party fact-checkers, and being more responsive to user reports of harmful content.

A survey by Social Weather Stations released last March found that 59% of Filipinos consider misinformation or “fake news” on the internet as a serious problem. However, 65% of them found difficulty in discerning if the news or piece of information online is false or misleading.

Up to 45% of poll-related discussions in the Philippines during the 2025 midterm elections were driven by “inauthentic accounts,” according to a Reuters report.

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Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
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