The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said it is eyeing legal action against social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), over the proliferation of online scams.
In a radio interview, CICC executive director Alexander Ramos said the social network giants “have not been cooperative in implementing local laws to protect consumers.”
Ramos said the CICC will also file an official complaint against the said platforms.
The executive said the social media platforms were not “cooperating toward the implementation of local laws when it comes to online e-commerce.”
Social media platforms give users the option to report posts and accounts, which can lead to the deletion of posts and the suspension or termination of accounts.
Earlier, Department of Trade and Industry Assistant Secretary Amanda Nograles said the Philippines could regulate foreign businesses operating locally, including taking down the posts of suspicious online sellers and issuing fines against the platform.
She noted that social media companies should have oversight over businesses that use their platforms.
Marketplace allows users to post items for sale. Transactions are done directly between Facebook users.
Ramos also noted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed during a recent cybersecurity summit to file a protest against social media companies over scams and other illegal activities on their platforms.
He lamented that social media platforms are “so big” that they no longer give attention to small countries.
Citing the latest report released by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and Gogolook, a TrustTech provider and the company behind the anti-scam app Whoscall, Scam Watch Pilipinas co-lead convenor Art Samaniego Jr. said the Philippines has the highest rate of shopping scams in Asia.
He noted that Facebook is the most common platform where Filipinos face scam risks, with 72.3 percent of respondents saying they have received scam messages or calls on the social media site.
Samaniego added that in the Philippines, online users usually do not file complaints, unlike in Australia. In some instances, Samaniego said celebrities whose pictures are used online and on scams file complaints against Facebook.
Earlier, an official said the Philippines hopes to complete its threat assessment of TikTok this month as the government considers banning its use on official devices.
Jonathan Malaya, assistant director general of the National Security Council (NSC), said the advisory body’s recommendations will be submitted to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The app has been banned from government-issued devices in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The bans were prompted by fears that the Chinese Communist Party could use it for spying or propaganda, an allegation that TikTok denies.
TikTok is banned on US government devices and the White House is currently undertaking a security review to determine whether the popular video-sharing app can still operate in the country.
