FILIPINO LEADER Rodrigo Duterte has threatened Facebook after the social media giant took down dozens of fake accounts related to him and his daughter, Sara Duterte – the mayor of Davao City, and also being linked to the military and police.
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| President Rodrigo Duterte |
A recent report by the Asian Journal also
quoted Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s cyber security policy chief, as saying
that some of the accounts were traced to individuals from the Chinese province
of Fujian.
Gleicher noted that a total of 155
accounts, 11 Pages, nine groups and six Instagram accounts were engaged in
“coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB)” with their posts centered on global
news and matters in the Philippines, the rest of Southeast Asia, and the United
States. The posts were written in Chinese, English, and Filipino.
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| Nathaniel Gleicher (Photo from his Twitter account) |
“They focus most of their activities on
Southeast Asia. They posted in Chinese, in Filipino, and in English about
global news and current events, including Beijing’s interest in the South China
Sea, Hong Kong, contents supportive of President Duterte and Sara Duterte’s
potential run in the 2022 presidential elections, criticism of Rappler, issues
relevant to overseas Filipino Workers, praise and some criticism of China,”
Gleicher said.
“We are attributing this to individuals
operating from the Fujian province of China. In addition, it’s worth noting, as
often when we conduct one of these takedowns, we’ve shared information about
this with our industry colleagues and with researchers,” he added.
Gleicher also said that the discovery of
the network in China was due to Facebook’s independent investigation and
proactive efforts in exposing such operations.
Another network was also recently tracked
down by Facebook, this time in the Philippines, with ties to the police and
military units in the country. The posts focused on “domestic audiences,”
written in English and Filipino.
A total of 57 accounts, 31 pages, and 20
Instagram accounts were removed due to CIB. Facebook also noted that the network’s operations
accelerated between 2019 and 2020.
“They posted primarily in Filipino and
English about local news and events, including domestic politics, the
military’s activity against terrorism, the draft of the pending anti-terrorism
bill, criticism of communism, youth activists and the opposition, criticism of
the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s
Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Gleicher said.
“We are attributing this network to the
Philippine military and the Philippine police. In particular, we found links
between, behind this network connected to both of these organizations and
individuals associated with those organizations,” he added.
Gleicher said that the investigation of
the local network was due to the concerns raised by civil society groups in the
country and online news site Rappler. He also maintained that the accounts
engaged in deceptive methods. “So for both of them, the central use of fake
accounts, as you know, is a necessary condition for us to determine something is
CIB. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only deceptive (practice) they engaged in,”
Gleicher said.
“So we regularly see these networks using
pages that don’t fully disclose who’s behind them. The patterns of engagements
that they may have with these accounts aren’t just the fact that they’re fake,
but it’s how they use the accounts to boost their contents,” he added.
Reaction
Duterte, in his recent public address, strongly
criticized Facebook for its actions. “Itong Facebook naman, I just — from what I have
learned in the past days na pati ‘yung advocacy ng gobyerno
tinatanggal. So what’s the purpose of you being here if government itself
— ?
Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you
could help us also. Now, if government cannot espouse or advocate something
which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my
country?”
“Tapos iyong Left, ini-encourage kayo, then you believe in the left
and to the point of almost make a sweeping move to iyong sa health — website ng
health, military, we are fighting a war,” he said.
Duterte questioned Facebook’s presence in the Philippines and
explained the government’s advocacies, especially in protecting the Filipinos
against insurgency.
“You know, Facebook, insurgency is about overturning government.
What would be the point — I said before, in my eyes — what would be the point
of allowing you to continue if you cannot help us? We are not advocating mass
destruction, we are not advocating mass massacre. It’s a fight of ideas. And
apparently from the drift of your statement or your position is that it cannot
be used as a platform for any… It is so convoluted. I cannot understand
it.”
“But ito na lang, tell me kung bakit hindi ko magamit para sa
kapakanan ng taong-bayan? If government cannot use it for the good of the
people, then we have to talk. We have to talk sense. If we are promoting the
cause of the rebellion which is already — which or rather which was already
here before you came, and so many thousands of my soldiers and civilians dying,
then if you cannot reconcile the idea of what your purpose is or was, then we
have to talk. I don’t know what I will do, but we have to talk,” he said.
The President warned Facebook that it cannot prevent him from espousing
the objectives of government.
“You cannot lay down a policy for my government. I allow you to
operate here. You cannot bar or prevent me from espousing the objectives of
government. No government in this wide world espouses killing or execution or
whatnot. But you know that there is a left there — the Left is the National
Democratic Front and that’s the — then they have the New People’s Army as an
organ of that. So, kung hindi tayo magkaintindihan diyan, mag-usap tayo ulit.
Is there life after Facebook? I don’t know. Pero mag-usap tayo,” he said.
Duterte said his job is to protect government interest. “It’s
not even anybody’s job, akin iyan. To protect government interest always. If
you cannot help me protect government interest, then let us talk. We may or we
may not find the solution. If we cannot, then I’m sorry,” he said.
Stand
for Truth
But
Infrawatch PH, a public policy thinktank, called on Facebook to pushback
against the veiled threats of Duterte to ban the popular social media network
in the Philippines.
“Today,
Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg have the historic opportunity to stand for the
public good. They should not be cowed by the threats of the President on how to
run their own social media company. His threats stifle democratic ideals, limit
innovation and reward bad behavior.”
“A
distinction should be made between legitimate government activities and
state-sponsored coordinated inauthentic behavior 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,” said Terry Ridon, Infrawatch PH convenor.
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| Terry Ridon (Photo from his Facebook page) |
Ridon said if Duterte makes good on his threats, the country will “really look like a province of China,” referring to tarpaulin banners installed in various parts of Metro Manila on July 12, 2018.
“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 out rightly reject any arm-twisting by the President,” he said.
Double-edged threat
Ridon,
however, warned that Duterte should tread carefully in attempts to emasculate
Facebook. “The President should be warned that closing Facebook 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,” he said.
Threat to democracy
Ridon
said banning Facebook ultimately threatens the country’s democratic ideals and
families. “Banning Facebook dismantles 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,” he explained.
Ridon
also said that banning Facebook deprives Filipino families an affordable avenue
for communication and entertainment. “Facebook and its services have provided
Filipino 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,” he added. (Mindanao Examiner)
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