The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to issue a resolution on the use and regulation of social media, artificial intelligence (AI), and deep fakes in the 2025 May polls on Thursday, September 19, 2024.
This, Cong. Bingo Matugas said Wednesday during the House plenary deliberations on the poll body’s P35.4 billion proposed budget for 2025.
“Maglalabas ang Commission ng another resolution regarding social media parameters including deep fake and misinformation,” said Matugas.
(The Commission will issue another resolution covering social media parameters, including deep fake and misinformation.)
Gabriela party-list Representative Arlene Brosas was asking the poll body for its possible measures against red-tagging for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).
“Ang social media is comprised of new technologies. Ang resolution na lalabas ay base sa current trends and technologies. If ever there will be new technology that will come out during the campaign period, the Commission will update its resolution to conform para maprotektahan ang publiko sa fake news,” said Matugas.
(Social media is comprised of new technologies. The resolution that will be released is based on current trends and technologies. If a new technology emerges during the campaign period, the Commission will update its resolution to conform and protect the public from fake news.)
“As of now, ang magiging resolution ay kung ano ang nagiging trend sa social media platforms,” he said.
(As of now, the resolution will be based on the current trend on social media platforms.)
It can be recalled the Makabayan bloc fell victim to red-tagging and to a false Comelec resolution during the 2022 elections. The poll body has since disowned the purported resolution.
Several experts, including award-winning data scientist and technologist Dominic “Doc” Ligot, earlier warned that AI and deepfakes would play a bigger role on the campaign period for the 2025 midterm elections.
In anticipation for the spread of fake news, misinformation, and disinformation related to it, the Comelec proposed to the en banc to prohibit candidates from using AI technology and deepfakes in their electoral campaigns in June.
In July, the Comelec announced it would come up with a set of guidelines for the use of AI in the May 2025 elections. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
