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Facebook to attend next Senate panel hearing on online sexual abuse —Hontiveros


Social media giant Facebook is expected to attend the next Senate committee hearing on online sexual abuse after it failed to show up in the previous meeting, panel chair Senator Risa Hontiveros said Wednesday.

"Facebook has committed to attend the next Anti-OSAEC (Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children) hearing," Hontiveros said in a statement.

"We have heard their explanation that their policy team did not receive the invitation that was sent, and we will call a next hearing to provide a platform for Facebook and other social media outfits to explain their side and open themselves to questions from legislators," she added.

In its hearing on Tuesday, senators considered citing Facebook officials in contempt after it failed to send representatives to the hearing, which tackled measures seeking to curb incidents of online sexual abuse of children.

Hontiveros called on Facebook and fellow social media giant Twitter to clamp down on criminal activities taking place in their platforms, particularly online sexual exploitation of women and children.

“Hindi lang fake news ang madaling kumakalat sa social media, pati mga pang-aabuso din sa ating kabataan at kababaihan. Social media platforms that still are not able to address this growing problem should be made accountable,” she said.

Citing Atty. Lawrence Aritao of the International Justice Mission, the senator stressed that over 1.2 million reports of online sexual exploitation were received by the organization last year, or almost three times higher than the reports received in 2019.

“This is a dramatic rise in a span of only a year. Mas pinalala talaga ito ng pandemya, lalo na at marami ang nakababad sa social media. Social networks should prioritize ending the proliferation of these crimes before even thinking of expanding their products,” Hontiveros said.

“I hope that social media companies, especially Facebook, can attend our next hearing. Filipinos use Facebook the most among other platforms, so their insights will be very crucial in finally ending exploitative activities under their roof,” she added.

Hontiveros has filed Senate Bill 2068, or the proposed Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Law or Anti-OSEAC Law, seeking to amend the Anti-Child Pornography Act and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act to make them more responsive to protecting children against online sexual abuse. —KBK, GMA News