House to probe Facebook takedown of gov’t accounts

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will initiate “appropriate proceedings” into the reported move of Facebook to take down alleged fake accounts linked to the military and police, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday.

Cayetano said the House would determine whether the reported actions of Facebook were “detrimental” to the freedom of expression.

“Upon passage of the 2021 Budget in the House of Representatives, rest assured that we shall initiate the appropriate proceedings in aid of legislation to truly determine if the reported actions of Facebook are detrimental to the Constitutional freedom of expression guaranteed to all Filipinos, regardless of political color, rich or poor, left or right,” he said in his Facebook page.

Facebook earlier shut down over 100 fake accounts traced to police and military units in the Philippines for engaging in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” (CIB)

Cayetano expressed “grave concern” that Facebook is supposedly being “partisan” by deactivating verified accounts of what he called “Filipinos who have voiced their support for our soldiers and police officers.”

While dissent and protest are always welcome, he said violence and terrorism are never tolerated.

“We call on Facebook Philippines to take this time to introspect and reflect on the soundness of its actions that tend to undermine the democratic principles upon which its phenomenal success is based,” the House leader said.

“Favoring one sector or ideology – especially one that has been tagged by the international community as a terrorist organization – directly contradicts Facebook’s core purpose of connecting all people globally in a free, open, and neutral marketplace of ideas,” he added. [ac]