Key highlights:
- Philippines’ new legislation for social media requires users to register their legal identities.
- The new policy is imposed to decrease the online abuse and misrepresentation of information.
- The Philippines is among Asia’s highest number of smartphone users.
The Philippines has approved a new social media policy, where the users are required to register with legal identities and phone numbers for their accounts. This policy is an initiative to curb the spread of misinformation and stop online abuse.
This bill is rare as having their details disclosed will allow the users to be traced. The country is infamous for its trolls, anonymous social media accounts, and spreading misinformation. To curb these from happening, the government has made it difficult for trolls to enjoy social media.
Senator Franklin Drilon commented, “This new provision will prevent anyone from making anonymous accounts online so they could attack anyone endlessly and viciously.”
Social media Policy awaits Presidential approval
Though the Senate and lower house approved the legislation, it still requires presidential approval.
Also, it is still in question how the social media companies will confirm the legitimacy of provided numbers or names to register for the account. Although if one does provide false information, the law counsels punishment of large fines or jail, or both.
The social media giants Facebook and Twitter are already under pressure due to the fake news and misinformation spreading through their platforms. The concerns rise especially during the elections to be held in May.
The Philippines has record-high smartphone users
The Philippines is among Asia’s highest number of the smartphone user. In the 110 million population, there are 79 million active users. There are also studies proving that Filipinos account for the most time spent on social media on a global scale.
The bill, Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act, also requires the users to register with their respective telecom operators. Three telecom firms welcomed the bill and suggested that this would curb the fraud and text scams.
