NEWS | Lawmakers in the House have paused a budget vote for the Department of Information and Communications Technology, or DICT. They are waiting for clearer answers about Meta, the company that owns Facebook. Lawmakers want to know what Meta is doing to keep kids safe online before they approve the budget.
DICT said this week it understands why lawmakers are asking hard questions. The agency said the biggest worry is child sexual abuse material showing up online. Lawmakers also brought up online gambling, bullying, addiction, and mental health problems linked to big platforms like Facebook.
This is happening while Congress works on a new law to protect kids online. A senator also suggested using the national ID to check a person's age before they can join social media. Neither idea is a law yet.
DICT did not go easy on Meta. The agency said other platforms have shown real teamwork and progress, but Meta has not kept up. It asked Meta to remove harmful content faster and work more openly with Philippine authorities.
BMN thinks a paused budget sends a stronger message than another letter or meeting ever could. It puts something lawmakers control directly on the line.
Will this finally get Mark's attention, or does it take more than a paused budget?
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