While US threatens to ban TikTok, Philippines says regulation is key

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The TikTok app is seen on a phone. Philippine regulators say outlawing the app would be a last resort. Photo: AFP

The Philippines has rejected a proposal to ban TikTok, saying regulating the popular short video app and other social media platforms was key to address possible espionage concerns.

Lawmaker Bienvenido Abante filed a bill last week in the House of Representatives to prohibit “foreign adversary controlled” applications, naming TikTok as an example.

Abante claimed TikTok “can easily transmit data harvested from its users to the Chinese government”.

He said the proposed measure was aimed at preventing “foreign adversary countries infiltrating our communication infrastructure and making a mockery of our cybersecurity and intelligence”.

But the Department of Information and Communications Technology said it was in favour of monitoring and regulating online shopping sites and messaging apps.

“We are in support of regulation of OTTs [over-the-top messaging] and social media platforms specially in their following of our rules on privacy, our rules on cybersecurity, our rules on computer security,” Jeffrey Ian Dy, the agency’s undersecretary, said on Monday.

While US threatens to ban TikTok, Philippines says regulation is key

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

TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, has come under increasing scrutiny over security concerns.

Several countries including Britain, Canada, Australia and France have banned the app on government-issued phones.

US President Joe Biden last month signed into law a bill requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok’s American operations in 270 days or face a ban on the app.

Dy, however, said outlawing an app would be a last option in extreme cases and applicable to all platforms, not just TikTok.

“Of course if you regulate them and they do not follow you, then the next step or the maximum step is to ban,” he said.

While US threatens to ban TikTok, Philippines says regulation is key

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

He also underscored the need for regulation of social media and messaging apps to rein in scams and misinformation.

In 2022, the Philippines implemented a SIM card registration law to curb text-based spam and phishing messages, but the rule apparently failed to yield the desired results as dozens of phone cards were seized during a raid on an online gaming company in March.

“Somebody has to act as a controller. Acting on behalf of the welfare of the public. That could be government through regulation,” Dy said.

He added that Facebook and messaging platform Telegram would be closely monitored after they were used to allegedly sell children and sensitive data hacked from government websites, ABS-CBN reported.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s personal website, the coastguard’s social media pages and the Philippine national police’s firearms logistics data system have all reportedly been breached in recent months, prompting the government to roll out a six-year plan to enhance cybersecurity.

Dy said streamlining digital defence was a priority and more than 200 government agencies would be linked to the national cybersecurity operations centre to effectively combat threats.