MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government asked Meta Platforms Inc. to strengthen measures against the spread of false and misleading content on Facebook, citing risks to public order and national security amid global fuel supply concerns, according to a joint government letter dated April 10, 2026.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) sent the letter to Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, stating that the country is facing increased vulnerability due to economic pressures linked to an ongoing global fuel crisis.
The agencies said the rapid spread of false information related to fuel prices, economic disruptions, and government actions poses risks to public confidence and public order.
The letter identified categories of content described by the government as high-risk, including false claims about the health or death of senior officials, misleading advisories about energy supply and pricing, financial disinformation targeting banks, fabricated statements about law enforcement or military activity, and coordinated inauthentic online behavior.
The DICT and PCO outlined five requested measures for Meta, including enhanced detection systems for disinformation, faster government-requested takedown processes for content affecting public safety, a 24/7 government liaison mechanism, defined response timelines for flagged content, and regular transparency reporting on enforcement actions.
The letter cited Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 as legal bases for the request and said failure to act could lead to consideration of regulatory and legal measures in coordination with Philippine law enforcement and regulatory agencies.
The government gave Meta 48 hours to confirm receipt of the letter and seven days to submit an implementation plan.
Meta had not issued a public response as of publication, according to the report.
