Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 18) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) said an investigation into alleged fake accounts on social media is ongoing, even as it continues to receive reports of dummy profiles.
Speaking at a televised briefing on Thursday, DOJ spokesperson Markk Perete said they have received 198 complaints concerning 300 fake accounts on Facebook.
“Ito ay hiningi na natin na tanggalin ng Facebook, or i-take down. At the same time, humingi tayo ng preservation ng laman ng mga accounts na ito para matignan kung saan ba ginamit st sino yung nag-create ng mga accounts,” he said.
[Translation: We asked Facebook to remove or take these down. At the same time, we ask that the information in these accounts be preserved so we can see where these were used and who created it.]
Perete added an inter-agency whose members are from the DOJ, the National Privacy Commission, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology are looking into these “ghost accounts.”
“Ang inter-agency task force na ito ay nakikipagpulong, working in close coordination with Facebook para makita natin kung meron bang motibo, meron bang…common thread that would connect all these accounts,” said Perete.
[Translation: The inter-agency task force is working closely with Facebook so we can see if there is a motive, if there is a common thread that would connect all these accounts.]
Perete said they continue to report these ghost accounts to Facebook as well as the NPC as they receive the complaints.
“Yung interest naman ng NPC, I understand, is more on privacy. They want to see kung may mga protocols yung Facebook that need to be tweaked or to be improved on to ensure na yung data ng ating mga kababayan na nasa kanila will be amply protected,” he added.
[Translation: The interest of the NPC, I understand, is more on privacy. They want to see if Facebook has protocols that need to be tweaked or to be improved on to ensure that the data with them will be amply protected.]
Earlier, the DOJ said they would launch a probe into the surge of bogus accounts on Facebook.
Justice chief 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.
“This gives me cause for worry. We don’t need false information at a time when we’re dealing with a serious public health crisis,” Guevarra said.
