AFP, Facebook discuss partnership to fight terrorism online

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday met with local executives of Facebook as they discussed possible partnership to fight terrorism online.

The meeting came after the social media removed a network of fake accounts and pages allegedly linked to the Philippine military and police due to coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB), a violation of its community standards.

In a statement, AFP Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay said they met with Facebook Head of Public Policy in the Philippines Clare Amador and her team, after the latter reached out in August for a virtual courtesy call and to share Facebook’s global initiatives in combating terrorism and dealing with harmful content on their platform.

"We laud and express gratitude to the members of the GIFCT (Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism), including Facebook, for stepping up in its self-regulation initiatives that targets the dissemination of extremist propaganda, including photos and videos of terrorist violence. We, likewise, in the security sector shall extend any assistance as needed and our lines of cooperation shall always be open,” Gapay said.

Facebook is a member of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), established in 2017 and now a consortium of companies battling terrorist abuse of members’ digital platforms.

The AFP said there have been many documented cases of terror groups using social media to advance their campaigns, citing the war against the Daesh in the Middle East and the Philippines' own experience in fighting terrorists in Marawi City.

The AFP added this proved the social networks' potential as conduit for the fast spread of violent extremism and terrorist propaganda.

"The spread of videos and images of execution incites fear and panic among the public, as well as increases the morale of terrorist elements and their sympathizers. Private messaging apps continue to be used as first line of communications followed by personally mediated and face to face meetings in recruitment and radicalization," it said.

The Facebook team shared with the AFP the nine-point plan being implemented by the GIFCT in preventing terrorist exploitation of the internet while keeping in mind human rights and freedom of speech

“We seek an open and above-board partnership with social networking sites to prevent and counter the spread of violent extremism, without curtailing the rights of users to free expression and information,” Gapay said.

Facebook Philippines also recently met with representatives from the Department of National Defense and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency to discuss matters on counter-terrorism.—Jamil Santos/LDF, GMA News