Instead of simply relying on users’ reports, social media sites should be able to immediately take down cases of sexual abuse and exploitation online, Senator Francis Pangilinan said Wednesday.
He said there should be a more proactive response rather than just rely on reports.
“The difficulty with reporting as was earlier manifested in some of the experiences, is that it would take several months. But if there is a proactive immediate takedown response from Google and all other media platforms, it would be better,” Pangilinan said.
Part of prevention, he says, is immediate takedown because it prevents the spread, prevent the potentially billions who would have access to that information that is private to one individual.
The Senate convened the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality to discuss several measures addressing online sexual abuse and exploitation of children and electronic violence against women.
Present in the hearing were representatives of the social media sites Facebook and Google, among others, who reported the safety measures in place on their websites to prevent OSAEC and E-VAW.
Facebook, for its part, said it had removed 5.4 million pieces of child nudity and sexual exploitation from its platform, with 98.8 percent of it removed even before reporting.
Facebook reportedly has 35,000 employees working on safety and security, with over 15,000 content reviewers to ensure prompt response to reports.
According to Google, 94 percent, or 8.8 million of the videos taken down on its platforms were machine-detected. No data focused on the Philippines is yet available.
Pangilinan, however, says the reports on the ground contradict these social media policies.
“The information we are receiving on the ground is that as soon as one is taken down, another one is just created and then the technology of bots and inauthentic behavior are able to rise,” Pangilinan said.
“The term is immediate takedown. And relying on reporting alone I think is less than ideal… Relying on the citizens to be vigilant is great because they ought to be vigilant. But the technology out there is sometimes just too powerful and too overwhelming for one or two or more individuals to respond effectively.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros has flagged Facebook groups that are used by teenagers to sell sexual videos and images online to fund expenses in online learning.
Hontiveros, chair of the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, showed a screenshot from an informant who was a member of a Facebook group, named Redroom, which was being used by teenagers to sell nudes.
“This is happening on Facebook, the biggest and most used platform of Filipinos,” Hontiveros said.
She says this particular group, which has over 7,000 members, has since been taken down by Facebook after concerns were raised during the hearing. However, upon further investigation, Hontiveros’ office discovered another group with similar content, called Blueroom, which has over 20,000 members.
“Social media networks must be more proactive. They have the duty to use the sophistication of their technology to put an end to this exploitation,” Hontiveros said.
