The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it’s not keen on supporting proposals to totally ban social media app Tiktok in the Philippines.
A bill has been filed in the House of Representatives seeking to ban the app, a move similar to the United States due to its potential national security concerns.
DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said in a briefing that DICT would prefer that all social media apps and sites be monitored and regulated instead of imposing a total ban.
“We are in support of regulation of OTTs and social media platforms, especially in their following of our rules on privacy, our rules on cybersecurity, our rules on computer security,” Dy said.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr has filed a measure seeking to prohibit online applications controlled by foreign adversaries.
“Yung banning, I think, is in the form of the maximum penalty of regulations. Hindi lang TikTok. We’re not singling out a particular application,” said Dy.
The DICT added that regulating social media apps would be enough to ensure that they follow Philippine laws.
“Somebody has to act as a controller. Acting on behalf of the welfare of the public. That could be the government through regulation. Para ipasok natin, tanggalin at ipasok at regulate nga ang mga terms and conditions regarding use of private data,” said Dy.
