Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed that over 100 fake Facebook accounts have been reported, adding that evidence from these accounts could be used in filing of possible criminal charges.
Cybersecurity expert: There must be guidelines for proper usage of social media
“As of 10 p.m. Sunday, over 100 accounts have been reported to the Office of Cyber Crime and DOJ,” Markk Perete, spokesperson of DOJ, told the Laging Handa briefing on Monday. “Ito ay ipinagbigay alam sa Facebook para ito ay i-takedown, but more importantly para ma-preserve yung data.”
Perete said should the victims of the forged accounts decide to pursue a criminal lawsuit later on, data from these dummy accounts could be used in the prosecution.
[Translation: As of 10 p.m. Sunday, over 100 accounts have been reported to the Office of Cyber Crime and DOJ. These have been reported to Facebook so they can be taken down, but more importantly to preserve the data.]
Perete said should the victims of the forged accounts decide to pursue a criminal lawsuit later on, data from these dummy accounts could be used in the prosecution.
In his regular briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said those who claim that the fake accounts are created to frame activists or critics of the administration should back it up with evidence and file corresponding charges.
The DOJ said it would investigate the sudden surge of fake accounts on Facebook.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he will direct the agency’s cybercrime office to coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to “promptly investigate” the spike in fake profiles. He added that the incident gave him “cause for worry” as the country is in the midst of dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
He also scolded those creating fake accounts that what they are doing is illegal and that they should find better things to do.
Meanwhile, Facebook said it also probing the matter.
“We’re investigating reports of suspicious activity on our platform and taking action on any accounts that we find to be in violation of our policies,” a spokesperson for the company told CNN Philippines on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Cybersecurity Philippines co-founder and CEO Joseph Felix Pacamarra said a dummy account poses danger because it could be used against an individual, group of persons or organization.
Facebook added that it is encouraging people to continue reporting accounts they believe to be fake.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon, IDC Asia Pacific head of security research Simon Piff stressed the need for guidelines from social media companies on how to properly use their applications.
Various universities around the country said on Sunday they have received reports that bogus and empty social media accounts bearing the names of their respective students and alumni have been surfacing online.
“Usually, pag ginawan ka ng Facebook account, automatic sa amin ‘yun it’s either for identity fraud or theft,” Pacamarra told CNN Philippines on Monday.
It was Tug-ani, the official student publication of the University of the Philippines-Cebu, which first reported how several Facebook pages copied the usernames of its students. This came following the arrest last Friday of some students who joined an anti-terrorism bill protest in the area.
The hashtag #HandsOffOurStudents made rounds on Twitter earlier in the day, as netizens voiced out concerns over the fake profiles, which groups say came in the wake of the recent protests and backlash against the controversial anti-terrorism bill.
He also said that when all of these accounts are put together in a large scale, they can be used for disinformation campaign to either malign or support a cause or an idea. He described it as a double-edged sword.
Pacamarra said such a strategy has been seen overseas, but this is the first time his organization has witnessed it in the country.
He encouraged people who find a dummy account in their name to report to Facebook and then try to register account as verified. He added that reporting it to the authorities must also be done.
Piff explained the information posted by users in their social media accounts can be easily compromised by individuals, especially if a post contains message that can gain significant traction like the calls to junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill.
DOJ investigation ongoing
“The challenge we’re facing is kind of a social challenge. The sources of information are never really fact-checked,” said Piff.
Piff also appealed to governments in the world to investigate these prevalent cybersecurity breaches in their respective countries especially if it is used in political propaganda or other malicious intent.
The Singapore-based cybersecurity expert added the security features of social media applications still depend on the users.
He gave Facebook as an example, where he said the app will not easily detect if an account is fake until the user reported it in its security settings.
“No one knows who are setting these accounts. These can be set up by a single individual,” added Piff.
Piff advised social media users to regularly update their application privacy settings.
“You got to think what you’re sharing with and who are you sharing with. The Internet is not a safe place. Any piece of information you put into anything online is possibly gonna get stolen by somebody,” warned Piff.
