Meta pledges to share data over imminent threats, says Hontiveros

RISA. Senator Risa Hontiveros speaks at a plenary session on August 25, 2026

Photo courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines

In a meeting in Singapore, Meta commits to sharing subscriber and traffic data when Philippine authorities identify imminent threats of violence

AT A GLANCE

• Senator Risa Hontiveros announced that the Philippine government secured a commitment from Meta to provide user data to law enforcement when there is an imminent threat of violence.
• The agreement was reached during a meeting with Meta's Asia-Pacific policy officers, focusing on the company's responsibility to combat violent extremism on its platforms.
• Hontiveros linked this commitment to the upcoming Child Online Safety and Protection Act, which aims to strengthen protections for children on digital platforms and hold technology companies accountable for harmful content.

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MANILA, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday, August 28, said the government has secured a commitment from Meta to respond to requests from Philippine law enforcement authorities for user data when there are indications of an imminent threat of violence.

Hontiveros sent representatives on Thursday, August 27, to join a Philippine delegation of key government officials in a roundtable meeting with Meta’s top Asia-Pacific policy officers at the tech giant’s regional headquarters in Singapore.

The meeting focused on the responsibilities of Meta’s platforms, particularly Facebook, in addressing the spread of nihilistic violent extremism and preventing online activity from translating into real-world attacks.

As the meeting neared its conclusion, Hontiveros’ representatives pressed Meta to commit to providing subscriber information and traffic data to Philippine authorities once an imminent threat to public safety has been identified.

Meta agreed to the request, according to Hontiveros.

“Napapayag natin, napa-commit natin ang Meta na ibibigay nila sa ating mga awtoridad ang subscriber information at pati traffic data once na may ma-identify silang banta sa kaligtasan ng ating mga bata bago pa may mangyaring aktwal na pag-atake,” Hontiveros said.

(We were able to get a commitment from Meta that they will provide subscriber information and traffic data once they identify a threat to the safety of our youth before an attack even happens.)

Hontiveros also linked the agreement to the looming passage of the Child Online Safety and Protection Act or Senate Bill No. 2424, a priority measure that seeks to strengthen safeguards for children on digital platforms.

The bill consolidates social media regulation bills pertaining to children’s use of such platforms.

Under the bill, children below 16 years of age shall not be allowed to create, access or maintain accounts on these platforms, with corresponding penalties to platform owners, as well as parents if proven willfully negligent.

The proposed legislation builds on protections established under Republic Act No. 11930, or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act.

The senator stressed that technology companies operating in the Philippines should be held accountable for harmful content distributed through their platforms.

Her remarks come amid growing scrutiny of social media companies over the role their platforms play in the spread of extremist content, violent threats and other harmful material. At a Senate hearing on August 20, police revealed that it had handled 74 cases linked to nihilistic violent extremism so far.

At the same hearing, Hontiveros had castigated Meta for allowing a livestreamed video of the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting incident to remain published online for 14 minutes. She said: “Linisin niyo ang kalat niyo, ang basura niyo sa inyong powerful platform, linisin niyo. Huwag niyo iwan lahat sa CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center).”

(It shouldn’t be the CICC that cleans up after Meta. Clean your mess up, your trash on your powerful platform. Don’t leave it up to the CICC.)

Two minors, including the student who fired his father’s gun inside the school, died in the Ateneo de Zamboanga incident last August 18.

During a Senate plenary session on Tuesday, August 25, Hontiveros also said digital platforms must establish local legal entities to make it easier for authorities to hold them accountable, and called for stronger regulation of these platforms’ business models, especially the use of virality that can at times spread harmful content. – Rappler.com