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February 18, 2026 | 1:07pm
This photo illustration created on January 9, 2025, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, shows US online social media and social networking service Facebook logo displayed on a smartphone in front of the media giant Meta's logo on a laptop screen. Social media giant Meta on January 7, 2025 slashed its content moderation policies, including ending its US fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram, in a major shift that conforms with the priorities of incoming president Donald Trump. The EU on January 8 rejected Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg's charge that the bloc engaged in "censorship" with its tech regulations.
AFP / Kirill Kudryavtsev
MANILA, Philippines — Under a new agreement with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Meta pledged to improve its mechanisms for detecting, reporting, and taking down disinformation and inappropriate content on Facebook.
In a statement on Wednesday, February 18, the DICT said it has reached a landmark agreement with the social media giant, requiring Meta to flag child exploitation content faster, immediately report such posts to local authorities and remove them from the platform.
Financial scams — including fake investment schemes that have proliferated on Facebook through deepfakes of public officials, prominent business leaders, and celebrities — will also be monitored and removed from the platform, the DICT said.
The agreement also covers phishing operations, digital fraud, and deepfakes deployed to tarnish the reputations of public servants, business leaders and private individuals, as part of a broader effort with the Philippine government to combat online scams and misinformation.
"Your kids, your money, and your reputation are now better protected on Facebook," the DICT said. "Walang compromise sa online safety ng Pilipino. (There will be no compromise on the online safety of Filipinos.) Period."
It remains unclear, however, how content will be flagged and who will determine whether posts are misleading or contain false narratives.
In early 2025, Meta said it would end its third-party fact-checking program and shift to a community notes system, citing alleged bias among partner organizations. The move drew scrutiny during the House Tri-Committee's probe into disinformation, where lawmakers pressed Meta officials on their moderation systems.
At the April 2025 congressional hearings, Meta clarified that the scrapping of its fact-checking program would take effect first in the United States, with no clear timeline yet for global implementation.
As a compromise, Meta representatives said the company is open to helping craft local regulations governing social media platforms, including itself, to address the spread of disinformation online.
Now in the 20th Congress, several lawmakers have refiled bills seeking to penalize users who create and disseminate false content on social media. However, civil society groups and disinformation experts have warned that such measures risk encroaching on free speech and veering into censorship.
The bills remain under deliberation at the committee level.
