While the United States is threatening to ban TikTok, the Philippines believes regulation is crucial

Philippines rejected the proposal to introduce a ban ICT Tokarguing that regulating the popular short video app and other social media platforms is the key to the solution espionage worries.

Lawmaker Bienvenido Abante filed a bill in the House of Representatives last week to ban apps “controlled by a foreign adversary,” citing TikTok as an example.

Abante stated that TikTok “can easily transfer data collected from its users to the Chinese government.”

He said the proposed measure aims to prevent “foreign hostile countries from infiltrating our communications infrastructure and ridiculing our cybersecurity and intelligence.”

The Department of Information and Communications Technology, however, said it supports monitoring and regulating online shopping sites and messaging apps.

“We support the regulation of OTT (over-the-top communications) and social media platforms, particularly as they comply with our privacy principles, our cybersecurity principles and our computer security principles,” Jeffrey Ian Dy, the agency’s undersecretary, said Monday .

People walk past a ByteDance office in Beijing earlier this month. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance , has come under increasing scrutiny over security concerns. Photo: EPA-EFE — Earlier this month, people walk past ByteDance’s Beijing office. TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has come under increasing scrutiny over security concerns. Photo: EPA-EFE

TikTok, owned by a company from Beijing ByteDanceis coming under increasing scrutiny due to safety concerns.

However, Dy said banning the app would be a last resort in extreme cases and would apply to all platforms, not just TikTok.

“Of course, if you regulate them and they don’t follow you, the next step or the maximum step is to impose a ban,” he said.

Filipino teens use a smartphone at a convenience store. Philippine regulators have pledged to monitor social media and messaging apps to rein in scams, misinformation, data leaks and misuse. Photo: Shutterstock — Filipino teenagers use a smartphone in a grocery store. Philippine regulators have pledged to monitor social media and messaging services to stop fraud, disinformation, data leaks and misuse. Photo: Shutterstock

He also stressed the need to limit social media and instant messaging fraud and disinformation.

The Philippines implemented a SIM Registration Act in 2022 to curb text spam and phishing emails, but the rule apparently did not produce the desired results as dozens of phone cards were seized during a raid on an online gaming company in March.

“Someone has to act as a controller. Acting on behalf of the common good. It could be the government through regulations,” said Dy.

He added that Facebook and messaging platform Telegram would be closely monitored after their use allegedly selling children and sensitive data that was hacked from government websites, ABS-CBN reports.

President Ferdinand Marcos JnrAccording to reports, in recent months, there have been breaches of the Coast Guard’s personal website, Coast Guard social media pages and the Philippine National Police’s Firearms Logistics Data System, prompting the government to implement six-year cybersecurity improvement plan.

Dy said enhancing digital defense is a priority and more than 200 government agencies will be connected to the national cybersecurity operations center to effectively combat threats.