STAND FOR TRUTH

Netizens wary of data privacy breach explore new social media sites

There is a growing concern over data privacy after numerous fake Facebook accounts sprung up in June.

This prompted some Facebook users to explore other social media sites, including the MeWe.

According to a report of MJ Geronimo on Stand for Truth, the executive director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women – Asia Pacific (CATW-AP) has started to explore MeWe.

"Binasa ko 'yung artikulo tungkol dito at nakita ko nga na no spyware at no political bias. So, immediately, na-attract ako doon sa ganon at in-explore ko siya," Jean Enriquez said.

Enriquez said she has experienced many disappointments with Facebook.

And, as CATW-AP executive director, she has repeatedly being trolled when speaking out about her advocacy.

"Merong mga real people who are paid and are always putting down people who are expressing their political opinions, especially, 'yun nga, very critical of current policies," Enriquez said.

"Doon pa lang, we are already disappointed," she added.

MeWe, which was started by a group of friends, was officially launched in 2016 and has just recently gained a following.

In its website, MeWe used the hashtag #NOT4SALE as it said it did not sell the personal information of its members to anyone.

Due to this, there are no third party advertisements or content.

"'Yung promise of MeWe is, it's a social network but it won't have any ads. And no ads, no spyware, 'yung ang promise nila," said Data Ethics PH co-founder Dominic Ligot.

MeWe is free to download, but for other features there is a fee of at least P255 a month.

However, some Facebook users were also wary of moving to MeWe as they claimed that some groups moved to the social media site after being removed from Facebook due to hate speech or misinformation.

"Kung hindi ka rin careful, even on MeWe, then there's a chance that you can get misled, whether or not nagse-censor 'yung platform na 'yun," Ligot said.

"Yung social network you have to be aware na whether you are conscious about it or not, 'yung data mo nama-mine na nung platform na 'yun. Whether they have advertising or not, it's there. So, I think ang pinaka-defense mo lang diyan is your own critical thinking," he added. -- Joahna Lei Casilao/BAP, GMA News

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