A PUBLIC policy think tank called on Facebook to pushback against the veiled threats of the President to ban the popular social media network in the Philippines.
The call of Infrawatch PH is not without basis. The threat stifles democratic ideals, limits innovation and rewards bad behavior. A distinction should be made between legitimate government activities and state-sponsored coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB) within Facebook.
Legitimate government activities within Facebook have not been removed, and continue to provide information and services to the public. What had been removed are digital assets that had undertaken CIB and other violations of FB’s terms of service.
If the President makes good on his threat, the country will really look like a province of China. In China, Facebook remains banned as Beijing seeks to curtail free speech and democratic discourse.
The language of the President appears to be gearing towards the same end, unless Facebook can be arm-twisted into submission. Facebook should outright reject any arm-twisting.
The President should tread carefully in attempts to emasculate Facebook. Closing it will dismantle a very significant portion of the President’s own political base, through the millions of FB accounts, pages and groups supporting government in the last four years. Even if Facebook removed digital assets which violated its terms of service, there are still countless more accounts, pages and groups operating within Facebook which convey government views on different topics.
Banning Facebook ultimately threatens the country’s democratic ideals and families. It will dismantle the last semblance of direct democracy in the country: of ordinary people, even if trolls, debating endlessly in posts about politics, in posts about memes, in posts about their favorite celebrities.
Facebook is democratic dialogue in action, despite fake news, trolls and disagreeable positions. Banning it deprives the public of an outlet for their frustrations or support of government.
Banning Facebook also deprives millions of Filipino families an affordable avenue for communication and entertainment. The social media giant and its services have provided families the means to talk to each other despite the distance, and despite the coronavirus. It has entertained the public with almost daily viral memes and videos. It has allowed online businesses to thrive during the pandemic.
This is the entire spectrum of activity which the President will dismantle just because the hawks in government are crying like babies over the removal of their digital assets.
