MANILA, Philippines — Malacanang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was "open" to the idea of banning any social media platforms if these would harm the youth and the country as some of these were responsible for the proliferation of violent content and fake news.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro stressed this on Tuesday during a press briefing when asked whether Malacañang supported the idea of banning Facebook amid a series of school violence linked to social media use.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said that it was studying proposals to ban Facebook or Meta following the recent shooting incident at a junior high school in Zamboanga wherein two students were killed.
"When it comes to everything — possible gaming apps, everything that can be said to harm our youth and our country — the President is open to removing all of it," Castro said in Filipino.
"If necessary and if that is what the studies show. Because not only are we seeing violence on various types of social platforms and social media, we also need to study whether this contributes to the spread of fake news in our country," she said.
"If any social media platform lacks accountability and our requests to protect our citizens against violence and fake news seem to be ignored, or if their response is slow, then it is worth considering and studying whether they should remain a part of our system," Castro said.
She said the banning of social media should not be linked to curtailment of free speech or freedom of expression in so far as spreading fake news.
The Palace press officer said, "Fake news is entirely different. It's different when you are simply expressing your opinion or being a critic -- that is not forbidden."
"Critics are not barred from speaking out, especially now under the administration of President Marcos Jr. What we cannot accept, and what the President especially cannot tolerate, is the spread of fake news," Castro said.
"Because if fake news prevails and we end up living in a world of fake news, what will happen to the future of our youth and the future of our country itself if we live on nothing but lies?" she said..
