Lawmaker backs self-regulation to combat online fake news

A self-regulating body composed of online content creators is the best approach to curbing the spread of disinformation, a lawmaker said Monday.

Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman proposed the creation of the Digital Council of the Philippines, a non-government regulatory body aimed at setting ethical standards for digital content.

“I came up with a legislative measure, which is the creation of a Digital Council of the Philippines because I am against censorship. I am against government control. This council will be composed of content creators, and it will have a registry,” Roman said in a press conference.

The council will also include representatives from digital advertising, public relations firms, government agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), as well as social media platforms.

"This will also be the go-to body for complaints over fake news content. They will have the technical means for fact-checking and flagging of fake content,” Roman added.

Emphasizing freedom of expression, she stated, “The right to freedom of expression is sacred. It is constitutional. So, when we legislate, we always try to find the least restrictive means, so it does not stand in conflict [with that provision]. We believe that if we have a code of standards, code of ethics, the council, which is not run by the government, will have the authority to eradicate fake news.”

House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V supported the initiative, warning of the dangers of unregulated social media.

“Social media is such a powerful tool but without a code of conduct... many of the people who say nasty things online cannot speak of the same vile things in person. These are mercenaries, and they are just after employment, but they are being irresponsible that it is getting out of hand,” Ortega said.

The House of Representatives continues to hold hearings on online disinformation. However, most content creators invited to testify have skipped the past two sessions and instead sought Supreme Court intervention, citing freedom of speech concerns. — DVM, GMA Integrated News