Users responsible for Facebook posts; slow takedown times criticized

Meta's director for public policy in Southeast Asia, Rafael Frankel, stated at a House Tri Committee hearing that users are ultimately responsible for the content they post on Facebook.

Frankel emphasized Meta's role as a neutral platform and its commitment to balancing freedom of expression with user safety, but this stance prompted criticism from lawmakers who questioned whether technology companies should be exempt from liability for harmful content.

Representative Romeo Acop argued that revisiting current legal frameworks may incentivize social media giants like Meta to further address disinformation on their platforms.

Frankel highlighted that Meta uses 11 different channels between its platforms and the government to tackle harmful content, including third-party fact-checkers such as Rappler, Vera Files, and Agence France-Presse.

However, Representative Rodge Gutierrez expressed concern over the long turnaround time for takedown requests of harmful content, which ranges from 6 to 24 hours, suggesting this period is too lengthy given the rapid spread of misinformation online.