Malacañang clarifies no immediate Facebook ban as Meta pledges cooperation

The Marcos administration has no immediate plans to ban Facebook after the social media giant showed a strong willingness to cooperate with government requests to remove fake news and violent content.

The clarification from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) comes days after the Palace initially noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was open to a potential social media ban to protect the youth from online harms. However, PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified in a press briefing that the administration is currently facing "no major issues" with Facebook, citing its rapid takedowns of misinformation.

Meanwhile, a high-level Philippine delegation led by Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda traveled to Singapore to hold direct talks with regional executives of Meta.

Following the meeting, Secretary Aguda confirmed that Meta has agreed to implement stricter online safeguards. These measures include faster content removals, age verification, and a plan to send a Meta team to Manila to expand their local operational presence