Año to meet with Facebook execs next week to discuss purging of accounts, pages

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año is set to meet with executives from Facebook next week to talk about the issue on the latter's purging of pages and accounts allegedly linked to the country's security forces.

In a statement issued Thursday, Año said the meeting would discuss how Facebook has been using content-based restrictions. He is hoping that the two camps would come up with solutions on how social media can help the government fight fake news and disinformation.

"Factual information can empower people to partake in nation-building such as government’s efforts to control COVID-19," Año said.

"Criminals and extremist groups have taken advantage of the pandemic to sabotage the delivery of government services," he added.

Earlier, Año expressed concern over the social media giant's move, noting that it was done "without prior consultation nor were the administrators of these accounts afforded due process."

He also claimed that Facebook has not been transparent in its probe on the accounts and pages, which were taken down due to coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Año stressed that while Facebook had removed alleged fake pages linked to the military and police, it has "failed to root out the bots, or automated accounts, that are being maintained by political and armed groups that are actively seeking to overthrow duly constituted authority in the country."

Both the police and the military have already insisted that their accounts and pages are observing the proper social media etiquette. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News