Watchdog sounds alarm on Comelec’s digital regulations for 2025 elections

September 20, 2024 , 07:30 PM

By Rodolfo Dacleson II

(September 20, 2024) – An election watchdog on Friday called out the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for its regulations regarding social media usage, disinformation, and artificial intelligence (AI) in next year’s elections.

Kontra Daya claimed that the guidelines could be used to undermine fact-checking and critical commentary during the midterm elections and the inaugural Bangsamoro Parliament polls.

“We fear Comelec’s true intention is to put more control and dissuade candidates and political parties from exposing the agency’s notorious record and raise legitimate issues that would put the (Pres. Bongbong) Marcos Jr. administration in a bad light,” said Kontra Daya in a statement.

Last Thursday, the Comelec said it will require candidates, parties, and campaign teams to register their official social media accounts and pages and other digital-based campaign platforms within 30 days after the filing of certificates of candidacy.

The new task force of the poll body will review the submissions and endorse them for approval to the commission en banc.

ALSO READ: Comelec launches task force against fake news, disinformation in 2025 midterm elections

Everyone must also issue a disclosure for campaign paraphernalia created using AI.

The Comelec struggled to curb the proliferation of fake news, disinformation, and misinformation during the 2022 elections. An independent fact-checking coalition found that Marcos and Vice Pres. Sara Duterte-Carpio benefitted from them the most, leading to their landslide victories.

“Comelec’s record in the previous elections shows how ineffective it was in suppressing and penalizing the disinformation campaign of the political parties of Rodrigo Duterte and now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., moreso how the electoral body failed to prevent massive electoral fraud marred by multi-billion pesos corruption,” added Kontra Daya.

It stressed that the Comelec has no “moral ascendancy” to regulate digital technologies, adding that its “reactive nature” will only worsen the influence of false information.

“Instead of trying to regulate media and technology, Comelec should help promote media literacy by incorporating it in its voter education and finally resolve electoral fraud in the previous elections,” said the election watchdog.

(With reports from JC Cosico, News5)

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