Rep Barbers proposes social media franchise requirement

Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is considering legislation requiring social media companies to obtain a legislative franchise from Congress to operate in the Philippines.

Barbers proposed this during Tuesday’s resumption of the House Tri-Comm probe on fake news and disinformation, emphasizing it aims to ensure proper regulation and financial benefit for the government.

The congressman clarified that securing a franchise would subject platforms to Philippine regulations and help the government capture industry profits amid tax jurisdiction issues faced by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

At the hearing, Rep. Joseph Stephen 'Caraps' Paduano suggested amending the Public Service Act to classify social media as public service.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) clarified that social media platforms are not classified as public utilities since they operate without a physical office in the Philippines.

House Committee on Public Order and Safety vice chairperson Romeo Acop assured that the inquiry aims to align with constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech and prevent undue censorship, while rights groups have flagged similar policies for infringing on free speech and data privacy.