DICT retracts claim House called Meta CEO Zuckerberg to hearing

The DICT's new statement contradicts its September 18 'breaking news' post, which said the House of Representatives had called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear at a congressional hearing on social media safety

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Monday, September 21, walked back a claim it made in social media posts on September 18.

The DICT said in its clarificatory post “that no House resolution was issued directing or inviting Meta or its Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg, to appear before the House in relation to the hearing.”

The statement contradicts the September 18 post by DICT saying the House of Representatives had called on Zuckerberg to appear at a congressional hearing on social media safety.

Several media organizations, Rappler included, reported on the post from the DICT’s announcement in relation to the deferral of actions regarding the DICT’s 2027 budget.

The DICT then apparently blamed news organizations for reporting on their social media announcements, encouraging the public to “refer to official records, proceedings, and statements from the House of Representatives and the Department to ensure accurate reporting and avoid misinformation regarding the budget deliberations.”

The DICT’s original advisory, which it presented as “breaking news,” has since been taken down from Facebook.