[ad_1]
MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is one of the world’s populists who came to power in part by leveraging Facebook’s ability to reach millions, with no nosy fact-checkers or journalists standing in their way. During Duterte’s 2016 campaign, his allies flooded the social media platform with misinformation about his opponents and glowing stories about him.
Four years later, following accusations that Facebook aided disruptive disinformation campaigns in many countries, the Silicon Valley giant has put more and more controls on what politicians and their allies can say online. And Mr. Duterte is not happy.
In his weekly public address Monday, Duterte lashed out at Facebook for removing fake accounts that endorsed his policies, making vague threats to shut down the platform in the Philippines.
“I allow you to operate here,” Duterte said. “You cannot prohibit or prevent me from defending the government’s objectives. Is there life after Facebook? I do not know. But we have to talk. “
The company said last week that it had removed two networks, one based in China and one in the Philippines, that used fake accounts to post information on a variety of topics, including Philippine politics. He said both networks had misled users about their identities.
The Philippine network had ties to the military and police, the company said. He showed examples of memes the network had posted that were critical of communist insurgents in the Philippines as well as progressive activist groups.
In his speech Monday, Duterte accused Facebook of opposing his policies and supporting the Philippine left. He said the company had “opened a Pandora’s box” and that his government could respond with stricter regulations.
“We allow it to operate here in the hope that it can help us as well,” he said. “Now, if the government cannot support or defend something that is for the good of the people, then what is its purpose here in my country?”
Facebook executives in the Philippines declined to comment. In its statement last week, the company said it had shut down the networks due to “inauthentic coordinated behavior”, not the content of the posts.
Duterte’s threats against Facebook were a game changer for a strong ruler who has benefited significantly from the platform. Before winning the 2016 election, running as a harsh-speaking populist, fake Facebook accounts spread positive stories about him and arson attacks on his opponents, many of them fake.
Since he took office, misinformation on Facebook, some of it openly shared by his aides, has been used to smear his critics and promote Duterte’s policies, including his bloody war on drugs. In March last year, Facebook suspended 200 accounts linked to Nic Gabunada, the social media manager for Mr. Duterte’s 2016 campaign, also for “coordinated inauthentic activity.”
In its statement last week, Facebook said that the Philippine network appeared to have intensified its activity in 2019 and 2020. It published in Filipino and English on Philippine news, including national politics, anti-terrorism legislation and military activities against terrorism, it said the company.
The China-based network published in Chinese, Filipino and English, focusing most of its activity in Southeast Asia, the company said. He posted on Filipino politics, including supporting material for Duterte and his daughter, who is said to be weighing up a presidential race in 2022. But he also posted on global issues, including China’s activity in the South China Sea, where he has disputes with the Philippines.
The Chinese network also posted content aimed at influencing the US presidential election, although Facebook said the network focused little on that effort and “gained almost no followers” in the United States.
Mr. Duterte and his officials did not appear to deny that the military was involved in the Philippine-based network. He denounced Facebook for removing posts supporting the military campaign against the country’s long-standing communist insurgency.
“You know Facebook, the insurgency is about overthrowing the government,” Duterte said. “What would be the point of allowing him to continue if he can’t help us? We are not advocating mass destruction, we are not advocating mass slaughter. It is a fight of ideas ”.
On Tuesday, the military issued a statement saying that Facebook “could be the means that helps consolidate the support of the people for its armed forces as its true protectors and defenders of the state against its enemies.”
A Duterte spokesman, Harry Roque, said the government viewed Facebook’s move as “a form of censorship,” adding: “We are not admitting that these are fake accounts.”
Facebook said the Philippine network was brought to its attention by civil society groups and by Rappler, an independent news site that has helped Facebook identify misinformation.
Mr. Duterte has launched threats against executives at Rappler and broadcaster ABS-CBN, who have been at the forefront of reports of his war on drugs. Rappler co-founder Maria Ressa was found guilty in June of defaming a businessman claiming he had ties to the drug world, and she still faces several other charges, including tax evasion. Ms. Ressa, who is free on bail, has denied all the charges, calling them attempts by the government to silence her.
ABS-CBN has effectively been shut down, with the House of Representatives, dominated by allies of Mr. Duterte, refusing to renew its broadcast license. Its embattled president resigned last week.
Danilo Arao, an associate professor of journalism at the Philippine State University, said the president’s comments on Monday made clear that social media companies now risk official retaliation alongside critics of the government.
“With Duterte, anything is possible, so you need to be vigilant,” said Arao. She said the “president’s tirade against Facebook” was ironic, given its role in her rise to power.
