Social media firms back Comelec in fighting election disinformation

Social media platforms, including Meta, Google, and TikTok, have pledged to support the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its fight against misinformation and disinformation for the upcoming May 2025 national and local elections and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.

Representatives from these tech giants signed a pledge of support in the presence of Comelec Chairman George Garcia and Commissioner Nelson Celis.

Meta Philippines Public Policy Manager Nixon David stated that the platform is committed to identifying and halting emerging threats, as well as limiting the spread of misinformation to protect the integrity of the Philippine elections.

Yves Gonzalez, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Google Philippines, affirmed Google's commitment to preventing the spread of misinformation and foreign interference in elections.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia stated that the agreement includes the platforms taking down violent and false posts, but Comelec will not directly act on posts containing indecency and disinformation to avoid violating free speech.

The social media platforms have also agreed to work with Comelec in immediately taking down the accounts of unregistered candidates.

Candidates are urged to register their social media accounts by December 13, 2024, as unregistered accounts or posts campaigning for candidates may be removed.