A Philippine lawmaker called for a review of the country’s legal framework governing the responsibilities of social media platforms, questioning whether companies like Meta should be held accountable for harmful content.
During the third Tri-Committee hearing at the House of Representatives, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop asked Meta about its role in addressing dangerous materials circulating on its platforms.
Dr. Rafael Frankel, representing Meta, responded that the company is committed to ensuring user safety and freedom of expression. He explained that Meta implements community guidelines to protect both values and combats misinformation through third-party fact-checkers.
However, Acop expressed skepticism, questioning Meta’s neutrality and suggesting the company avoids full responsibility by labeling itself merely as a “host” of user-generated content.
He emphasized that it is time to revisit and possibly revise the current laws to clearly define the extent of liability social media companies should bear, especially in the face of growing online threats and misinformation.
