Comelec amends guidelines on use of social media

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has amended its guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), social media and other forms of internet technology for election campaigns for the 2025 national and local polls. The commission on Monday issued amendatory Resolution 11064-A, which exempts private individuals and entities from registering their social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms primarily designed to solicit votes and promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the en banc's decision was arrived at following consultations with election stakeholders, who cited the need to safeguard the freedom of expression of private individuals. "The freedom of expression is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, serving as a cornerstone of a democratic society by ensuring open dialogue, the free exchange of ideas, and the protection of individual opinions, allowing Filipinos to speak freely on various issues, including politics, governance, social issues and the elections," the resolution read. Through the amendment, Garcia said, only candidates and registered political parties or coalitions, and party-list organizations are required to register their websites and other social media platforms with the Comelec Education and Information Department (EID). They are also required to submit a notarized affidavit of undertaking stating that the registered social media and other online election campaign platforms shall not misuse social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology for disinformation or misinformation against any party or the electoral process. Nor may the same social media campaign be funded or used by any foreign entity to influence and intervene in the Philippine elections. The Comelec warned that non-compliance with the registration requirement would result in the removal, takedown, or blocking of the contents of concerned social media platforms. In regulating social media accounts, Garcia said the Comelec has no authority to alter their content, but if they go against standing rules and guidelines, the poll body can move to take them down by reporting the violations. "It is our commitment for the 2025 election campaign. We are sure that AI and deepfakes and other platforms would be widely used," he said. "Equal opportunity for all. That's our commitment to the Filipino people." The commission designated as the implementing arm the Task Force sa Katotohanan, Katapatan, at Katarungan sa Halalan (Task Force KKK sa Halalan), led by the EID and the Comelec Law Department, with the assistance of the deputized law enforcement agencies. The main function of the TF KKK sa Halalan is to monitor registered and unregistered social media and online accounts or websites that are used to endorse or campaign against candidates, political parties, coalitions, or party-list organizations or to propagate false information on the elections, election system and the Comelec. It is also authorized to investigate detected or reported misuse of social media, AI, and internet technology in digital election campaigns, issue show cause orders, and file complaints on its own about election offenses. It prohibits the use of "false amplifiers" such as fake accounts, bots, and astroturf groups filled with fake users to propagate disinformation and misinformation.