TikTok content creators grace the red carpet during the Best of TikTok Creators Night 2023 at Rizal Park Hotel in Manila on December 10, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DITC) said that like the United States, the Philippines can ban certain social media platforms like Tiktok.

But DICT Asec. Asec. Renato "Aboy" Paraiso said such prohibition may come with a price.

"Kung susundan natin ang trend, p'wede naman (nating i-ban). We would acquire capabilities to ban specific sites, specific application within our jurisdictions... ipapa-implement natin sa mga internet providers lalong lalo na't mataas ang usage natin sa mga social media platforms na ito through our cellular services," said Paraiso.

"However, we have to weigh 'yung social cost nito at political influence. We understand din noong 2022 campaign, we already recognize the fact that yung influencers natin itong content creation is already a profession... ibig sabihin kailangang pag aralan din ang social costs, kasi may mawawalan ng trabaho at pagkakakitaan."

Jocel de Guzman, founder president of Truth 360 and co-lead convenor of Scam Watch, agreed with Paraiso.

"Hindi sagot (ang pagba-ban dito) dahil ang dami nang nakasalalay diyan," said De Guzman.

He said that social media has contributed P2.07 trillion to the Philippine economy in 2023.

"At lalaki pa ito," said De Guzman, who labeled the Philippines as the "social media capital of the world."

"Right now meron kang 50 million TikTok users sa Pilipinas. Sa US, 170 million. Sa Facebook natin dito meron tayong 87 million. So in a way malaking bahagi ng buhay natin ang TikTok... Naging major plaform na siya, marami nang umaasang kabuhayan dyan. Marami na ring umaasang kabuhayan dyan, pati ang mga content creators naging industry na rin."

De Guzman added that social media also played a major role during the 2022 elections.

Instead of the prohibition of social media, he said the government should be more active in regulation. 

"Dito sa atin kung meron man pong magpupush (ng ban), I think magkakaroon ng malaking public outcry... Imbis na tanggalin lahat 'yan at magsimula sa wala, siguro dapat maging mabilis ang regulators natin, mambabatas na tin sa paggawa ng regulation," he said.

"'Yung fear of adversarial in terms of security and spying, dapat nating isipin 'yung mga cell sites natin galing naman sa China di ba?"

READ: TikTok shuts down US access as Trump seeks app's reinstatement

LEGISLATION

Paraiso said that part of the problem is the lack of legislation.

"Sa Pilipinas naman unang una we lack particular legislation pagdating sa pagreregulate ng mga social media platforms. Na-bring up na natin na kailangan magkaroon ng legislation to effectively regulate," he said.

Another problem is, he said, that none of the social media platforms has offices in the Philippines.

"For us to effectively regulate kailangan may opisina ang mga social media platforms, e wala silang opisina dito," said Paraiso.

TikTok has already disconnected access to its users in the US after the US Supreme Court upheld a law that would ban the popular video-sharing platform in the name of national security.

EXPLAINER: What happens after the TikTok ban?

SECURITY

De Guzman said that in the Philippines, lawmakers have made efforts to push a similar legislation due to national security concerns.

"Sa Pilipinas, gusto ko lang malaman ng mga tao meron nang bill, si Cong. Abante nagfile na na iban na ang TikTok noong mayo 2024 di ko alam kung umusad na ito mukhang hindi pa. Katulad din siya ng bill na isinagawa ng US kung saan ibinaban ng applications ng adversarial countries for national security reasons," he said.

"'Yung AFP naman ipinagbawal na ang TikTok sa mga personnel nila, at kung papasok ka sa maseselan na lugar ng AFP kailangan mong ideposito ang phone mo for security reasons."

Paraiso, for his part, said the government is also capable of monitoring hacking activities including those related to countries adversarial to the Philippines.

"Pero kaya natin idetect kung may hacking," he said.

"But inherently if the social media platform is state controlled, 'pag inutusan ng gobyerno nya yan tiktikan mo ito, walang magagawa ng social media platform kundi sumunod sila."