OF TREES AND FOREST
It is a very controversial question. Should government regulate social media? On one hand, we know, and some of us have experienced first-hand the dangers of social media that is completely unfettered. I have been a victim of this. Most recently, I had to post a proof of life photo to counter the misinformation on social media that I had died. And mind you, this was not the first and only time social media posts have “killed me.” Many times in the past, anonymous and untraceable social media accounts have variously claimed that I have contracted a fatal disease or actually died. Numerous fake Facebook account bearing my name have been activated and some bitcoin companies have falsely used my name as endorsement of their products. Others have had worse experiences—cyberbullying, misinformation, depression, anxiety, privacy concerns, among others. So the case for regulating social media seems airtight. Right?
On the other hand, government regulation is something people generally view with suspicion and some misgivings. For one, there is genuine fear that government regulations may lead to an infringement of freedom of speech and expression. Thinking about a group of people, an agency of the bureaucracy who will be given the power to judge whether a social media post should be regulated is something that elicits uneasiness and distrust. It is also not a stretch to imagine how a government can stifle political opposition and contrary opinions in the name of regulating social media. How difficult would it be for an administration to dismiss a contrarian view on social media as a threat and therefore should be regulated.
There is no doubt that social media has both positive and negative impacts in our life in general and in our politics and democracy specifically. The well-respected Pew Research Center published a study in 2022 that showed that ordinary citizens (at least in the 19 advanced economies it surveyed), see “social media as both a constructive and destructive component of political life”. Although the study showed that of 57 percent of respondents viewed social media as “more of a good thing” for democracy as opposed to 35 percent saying it has been a bad thing.
An interesting facet of this Pew study was the fact that while more than half viewed social media as generally positive, a great number of people agreed that it has done serious damage, and has undermined social and political relations. Eight out of 10 people believe that the explosion and wide accessibility of social media “have made people easier to manipulate with false information and rumors” while 70 percent saw the “misinformation as a major threat, second only to climate change on a list of global threats.” More importantly, I think, the study revealed that 65 percent believed that social media “has made people more divided” and more than 40 percent thought that online interactions have “made people less civil in how they talk about politics.”
This issue is particularly important in the Philippines because of the fact that we have become known as the social media capital of the world. This is because Filipinos, despite low connectivity and access to internet, are the leaders in the world in terms of social media use. The We Are Social and Hootsuite Digital Study of 2021 revealed that “Filipinos spent an average of four hours and 15 minutes each day on social media. Keep in mind that the global average is about half that time (two hours and 25 minutes). This was the third straight year we led the world in social media use.
I am generally skeptical of too much government regulation. But I do believe that citizens need to be protected from unscrupulous social media activities that target their identity, destroy their reputation, and defraud them of hard-earned money. I was one of those who proposed a law on E-Libel or “Electronic libel” which eventually became Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
We cannot ban social media in our lives. Although Australia and other countries are experimenting on banning social media use of children, which is something our legislators should start studying. But it is precisely because social media has become an indispensable part of our lives that we should institute safeguards against its potential abuse. We cannot obliterate social media out of existence but neither should we allow to run amok and ruin people’s lives and the fabric of our democracy. (mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com)