BBM Vlog on Feb. 1, 2026. Screen grabbed from Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr’s video/Facebook.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to proposals that could restrict or even ban Facebook and other online platforms if they are found to expose young people to harmful content or contribute to risks to public safety, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the administration is willing to study recommendations involving social media and gaming platforms, particularly those that may expose minors to violence and other potentially harmful material.
The issue emerged after the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said it was considering recommending a Facebook ban in the Philippines following the deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
Castro said the government must also examine whether social media companies are doing enough to prevent their platforms from being used to spread disinformation.
She stressed, however, that any discussion about regulating or restricting platforms should not be interpreted as an attempt to silence government critics or limit legitimate expression.
“Fake news is different from simply expressing your opinion or being a critic,” Castro said, maintaining that criticism remains protected under the Marcos administration.
The debate over online platforms intensified as authorities investigated the digital activity of the gunman in the Zamboanga school shooting.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said investigators found that the shooter had searched online for content involving nihilism, antisemitism, anti-LGBT material and other hate-related subjects.
Remulla also pointed to chat groups linked to the online gaming platform Roblox, saying investigators were looking into whether the shooter had been exposed to people promoting hate, discord and violence online.
The National Bureau of Investigation has separately identified individuals it described as “groomers” allegedly recruiting minors for violent activities, adding another dimension to the government’s scrutiny of online spaces used by young people.
No ban has been ordered, however, and the Palace’s position at this stage is that proposals involving Facebook or other platforms would first have to be studied.
Any potential restriction would also raise broader questions over platform accountability, public safety and freedom of expression as the government weighs how to protect young users without unduly limiting legitimate online activity.