Trillanes wants ‘social media trolls’ held accountable for fake news

To protect the public from misinformation, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has called for a Senate investigation on the proliferation of fake and misleading reports, saying authors and “social media trolls” should be held accountable under the law.

Trillanes filed Senate Resolution No. 259 urging the Senate committee on public information to conduct an inquiry on the proliferation of false, erroneous, distorted, fabricated and/or misleading news and information on social media.

“Instead of being a tool for empowerment, the social media has become a platform for political propaganda, deceit and manipulation, which has been continually abused and misused for the sake of personal or political agenda, at the expense of rational discourse and discussion with the proliferation of the so-called ‘social media trolls,” Trillanes said.

He cited the May 2016 national and local elections, saying social media has “set the tone and topics of political discussion. 

The senator said the probe aims to come up with a viable system to hold the authors, distributors and purveyors of such false information accountable under the law.

The resolution describes a social media troll as someone who “deliberately creates and/or foments discord and conflict on social media sites.”

Trillanes said trolls, which can earn up to $2,000 a month, post controversial messages to “provoke emotional responses from other internet users and take the focus away from the rational and meaningful discussion.”

Trillanes also said that trolling creates a “culture of impunity” online because of their foul language and personal attacks like death and rape threats.

“Because of social media trolls, the social media is now being used to create fabricated realities through a network of fake social media accounts intended for trolling and spreading of erroneous and misleading news and information,” he said. —ALG, GMA News