Philippines social media identity verification proposal draws rights criticism

A handful of Asian governments are thinking about – or have rolled out – identity verification for social media users, but these considerations are not going unchallenged.

A digital rights group has expressed their “apprehension” over the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) draft circular proposing mandatory identity verification for all social media users.

The undersigned organizations and advocates collected by the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), an advocacy group based in Quezon City, admits it shares the concerns of the DICT over growing cases of cybercrime and online disinformation.

However, it has deep misgivings over the DICT’s proposed solution, as it believes it “creates profound constitutional, legal, and human rights issues that threaten the basic liberties of the very same people it claims to protect.”

In January the DICT said it is considering requiring social media users to register or undergo verification to stem the rising tide of scams and cybercrime, with the country combatting the scourge that has deluged ASEAN countries. Others in the region, such as Thailand and Vietnam, have introduced identity verification measures for SIM card registration, with the Philippines implementing its SIM Card Registration Act in 2022, to tackle the same issue.

The FMA takes issue with the proposed circular claiming it is too broad, extralegal and censorious. The group believes that social media users would “surrender their right to privacy” and that the circular does not supply an adequate standard for what constitutes social media platforms, leaving space to capture “an infinite range of digital apps and online platforms.”

Additionally, the FMA says the DICT lacks the mandate to introduce penal laws. “Under Philippine law, only Congress can pass penal laws,” the joint statement says. “Government agencies cannot circumvent the legislative process through the mere expedient of issuing administrative circulars.”

The rights group argues the draft circular, which remains in the consultation period, is a “lazy approach” to law enforcement and that its intended effect is far from assured. “It’s worth remembering that surveillance-based solutions masked as safety policies often fail because those who are intent on committing crimes will find ways around them,” it claims.

“Ultimately, it is not [the criminals], but the ordinary users that usually bear the inconvenience and other negative consequences [of the measure].”

In April 2025, three years after the passing of the SIM Registration Act, it was reported that the number of scam phone calls in the Philippines was not falling but increasing. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) raised the alarm, as reported by ABS CBN. While scam texts had dropped significantly from the previous year, scam calls had risen 225 percent year-over-year.

The proposed mandatory identity registration would require the collection of data — with the resulting database a potential threat to users’ personal data as it would become a target for cybercriminals, the FMA added.

On Friday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Filipinos should have only one verified social media account per platform to tackle online trolls. “We will need to coordinate with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok,” he said, who added that he’d been considering the proposal for some time. “If it isn’t verified, the account should be removed.”

Grok returns following commitment to remove image tools

Elon Musk’s controversial AI chatbot Grok will make a return in the Philippines after access was blocked.

The country blocked Grok following concerns were raised over its ability to create sexualized images, including of children. The capability drew worldwide alarm and led to wider debates, such as in Ireland where politicians considered fast-tracking legislation criminalizing deepfakes.

Reuters reports that the Philippines’ will restore access to Grok after staff said it would remove AI image tools. “The Grok AI app has reached out to us and stated that its platform will no longer use any content manipulation,” the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said in a statement.

“Even after lifting the ban, the CICC will still closely monitor the app to ensure they comply with the rules and regulations in our country.”

Article Topics

cybersecurity  |  DICT  |  digital identity  |  identity verification  |  Philippines  |  social media