MANILA, Philippines — In a decisive move following Senate hearings and the President’s call to clean up the online space, META/Facebook has pledged stronger enforcement against online sexual abuse, financial scams, and deepfake content affecting Filipinos. The commitment was made during a high-level meeting with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), attended by META Public Policy Head for Indonesia and the Philippines Berni Moestafa, and META Philippines Public Policy Head Gio Tiongson.

Specifically, META/Facebook promised to intensify platform monitoring and remove content related to the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC). They also agreed to bolster collaboration with local authorities to identify and prevent digital scams, such as phishing and fraudulent investment schemes. In addition, the platform committed to stricter action against manipulated deepfake videos, which have increasingly been used to mislead the public, tarnish reputations, and manipulate narratives online. The initiative signals a growing recognition that the responsibility for online safety does not rest solely on government authorities but also on private tech companies. While the pledge is a positive step, questions remain about the implementation and effectiveness of these measures. Can these promises truly curb online abuse, scams, and misinformation, or will gaps in enforcement allow harmful content to persist? For Filipino users navigating the digital world, the impact of these commitments will soon be put to the test. (Larawan mula sa: DICT / Facebook)