Philippine president vetoes bill seeking to tackle social media abuse

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he delivers his sixth State of the Nation Handle (SONA), on the Home of Consultant in Quezon Metropolis, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/File Picture

MANILA, April 15 (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed a invoice that may require social media customers to register their authorized identities and cellphone numbers, calling for a extra thorough research of the measure, his spokesperson stated on Friday.

Lawmakers had accredited the measure earlier this 12 months as they sought to thwart on-line abuse and misinformation, particularly within the run as much as the Could 9 normal election. learn extra However with Duterte’s veto, the invoice is unlikely to be handed earlier than the ballot.

Social media has change into a key campaigning platform for candidates operating for president, vice chairman, and 1000’s of seats within the two chambers of Congress and native governments.

Duterte’s election victory in 2016 was partly attributed to a well-organised social media marketing campaign, however critics have blamed pro-Duterte trolls and influencers for spreading misinformation to discredit and threaten opponents.

Whereas Duterte had lauded lawmakers’ efforts to handle cybercrimes and different on-line offences, he disagreed with the inclusion of social media within the invoice with out detailed pointers, stated presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar.

The dearth of pointers “could give rise to a scenario of harmful state intrusion and surveillance threatening many constitutionally protected rights”, Andanar stated.

“It’s incumbent upon the Workplace of the President to make sure that any statute is in step with the calls for of the Structure, comparable to these which assure particular person privateness and free speech,” he stated.

The veto mustn’t, nonetheless, deter lawmakers from passing efficient and strengthened measures that guarantee a protected and safe on-line atmosphere for Filipinos, Andanar stated.

Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Modifying by Kanupriya Kapoor

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