MISINFORMATION | Duterte supporters more susceptible to fake news online, says study

November 18, 2021 , 11:16 AM

By Beatrice Puente

(November 18, 2021) – President Rodrigo Duterte’s young supporters are more vulnerable to believe in fake news, a study conducted by a research firm based in the Ateneo School of Government revealed on Wednesday, explaining the connection between political polarization and spotting misinformation.

Dr. Imelda Deinla, a convenor of BOSES Pilipinas, said their first survey conducted from May 17 to June 24 gauged how students’ biases correlate with their ability to distinguish between true and false information. More than 7,000 respondents from various colleges and universities took part.

“May malawak na disinformation networks na nagpapakalat ng mali o baluktot na mga balita o information. They are malicious, intended to create biases, and negate real news,” said Deinla, adding that many sources of disinformation they identified were supportive of Duterte’s administration.

In comparison, supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo showed a better ability to identify facts. Deinla said they used Duterte and Robredo as metrics for partisanship as the two highest-ranking public officials represent populist and liberal-democratic ideologies, respectively.

Among the respondents, 23.7% “strongly approved” the leadership of Duterte, while Robredo received 15.7%.

BOSES Pilipinas conducted a second survey where it was found out that people who mostly rely on Facebook for information tend to have a lower ability in identifying fake news as well. It covered a larger set of respondents with more than 20,000 students.

Some 384 respondents who consider Facebook as a “very trustworthy” information source only scored an average of 5.7 in the 10-item quiz. Those on the opposite side, numbering at over 6,000 respondents, showed a higher ability to accurately spot fake news, getting an average score of 7.2.

“Trust in social media and Facebook are shown to impair one’s ability to detect misinformation. Users who are predisposed to believe information that mirrors their sentiments are more exposed to misinformation networks online,” said Deinla.

Deinla’s group also found a disconnect between the students’ confidence in identifying fake news and their actual ability to do so. The majority of the respondents showed average skills in spotting misinformation, with 52.5% scoring 6.9 in the 10-point assessment.

Atty. Elaiza Sabile-David of the Commission on Elections admitted that fake news counts as one of their main problems as it can further erode public trust in the institution.

“‘Yung lumalabas na half-truths, medyo mahirap ‘yun ma-spot lalo sa readers kasi ‘yung source ng half-truths na ‘yun, may nako-quote sa legitimate source pero may parts ng information na deliberately omitted,” said David.

Civil society organizations and media groups have ramped up their fact-checking efforts ahead of the 2022 elections.

“If we want to create a better future for our youth—one who knows the truth, who can judge between right from wrong, who can trust institutions—then we will need a collective effort to overcome this information pandemic,” urged Deinla.

(PM)

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.