TikTok urged to improve disinformation measures in Philippines

In the Philippines, a lawmaker is urging TikTok to strengthen its efforts against the spread of false information. 1-Rider party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez raised concerns about a viral post claiming that Palawan, a province in the Philippines, is part of China. During a hearing in the House of Representatives on March 21, Gutierrez criticized TikTok's current response to misinformation, calling it “reactionary.” He noted that TikTok only removes content after it has been flagged, rather than proactively preventing false information from spreading. The Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, Commodore Jay Tariella, also spoke about the misinformation on TikTok. He described it as a “new kind of propaganda” and highlighted concerns about repeated postings of the same false videos. TikTok’s Policy Manager, Peachy Paderna, assured that the platform does not allow misinformation that could cause harm. She mentioned that videos are reviewed quickly using technology to spot signs of false information. The platform also works with independent fact-checkers. Paderna revealed that TikTok had removed over 4 million videos for community guideline violations in just a few months last year. However, Gutierrez emphasized that there is still much work to do to effectively tackle disinformation on the platform. He expressed frustration over how misinformation affects public understanding, especially regarding sensitive issues like territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.