Originally published at Manila Times, Sunday Business and IT, September 15, 2019

After the failure of the Umbrella Revolution in 2014, Hong Kong (HK) is going through another notable movement, the “Summer of Discontent.” The HK People arrived at a consensus not to have a leader but solidarity with all groups with diverse points of view.  Joshua Wong is still regarded as a significant leader by pro-Beijing camp and even prosecuted for inciting people to take part in the protests.

Wong is only 22 years old and is one of the most known young activists in Hong Kong. Wong started his public interest career by founding Hong Kong student activist group Scholarism in 2011, which organized a political rally attended by over 100,000 people and pressured the government to withdraw the moral and national education proposal. In 2014, Wong took his influence into the Umbrella Movement and was one of the main student leaders, which resulted in his inclusion in TIME magazine’s Most Influential Teens of 2014 and nomination for its 2014 Person of the Year.

The opportunity to meet Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist at Berlin’s Humboldt University on September 11 was just too good to pass up. The “Germany Stand with Hong Kong” organized “Salon in Berlin: Paradox of the Leaderless Movement in HK” as an opportunity for Joshua to answer the questions on the struggles he has been facing in this leaderless movement. Some figures emerge from social movements as leaders of the people, whether they choose or accept these labels. While having leaders might suggest more efficient strategies in organizing protests, this approach is often being criticized dysfunctional as it fails in representing all the voices of the crowds. A belief in traditional leadership contradicts the pursuit of an ideal democracy of civil disobedience, in which everyone receives the same importance in the decision-making process.
“I want to tell you how the people of Hong Kong took to the streets in the millions and won’t be frightened by Emperor Xi,” Wong told the audience. “The air of freedom I breathe here, instead of irritative smell of teargas, reminds me of how important it is for me to share the thoughts of people attending the ongoing Hong Kong protests.”

While the protest movement is leaderless, five main demands have emerged:1) complete withdrawal of the extradition bill; 2) dropping of charges against arrested protestors; 3) retraction of the proclamation that protests were riot; 4) independent investigation on police brutality; and 5) universal suffrage for the elections of the chief executive and Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s parliament. They shout “five demands, not one less,” or “stand with HK, fight for freedom”. I have to hand it to these protestors because the movement has been sustained far longer than the 79-day Occupy movement.

What is this leaderless movement? The leaderless structure is like the flat organization of the movements I take part in with my fellow advocates. Wong said it is about technology, human-chain, trust and spontaneity.  Instead of a central leadership, there are facilitators who help organize demonstrations, especially with new protestors.

Strategy and logistics are anonymously planned on the Reddit-like forum LIHKG. Around 100 social or organization groups and private groups are on Telegram. Reports cite how the groups “post everything from news on upcoming protests to tips on dousing tear gas canisters fired by the police to the identities of suspected undercover police and the access codes to buildings in Hong Kong where protesters could hide.” The preference for secure encrypted messenger differs from the Occupy Central protests in 2014 when social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were used. Although Facebook and Twitter are used to share news about the current protests against the extradition bill, much of the sensitive information sharing and coordination moved to Telegram and Signal.

Telegram played a central role, with protesters forming a human chain across the city on the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Chain demonstration from 1989. The app allows users to register an account using their phone number. To keep their anonymity, they use a nickname to conceal their identity, and that could also hide their phone number from others by selecting “Privacy and Security > Phone Number > Nobody” in the app’s privacy section.

I asked Wong about a bug in the Telegram app that could allow anyone to unmask their phone number, even when this setting is on “Nobody.” Wong replied by saying their data protection experts talked to Telegram who then changed its system. According to securitynewspaper.com, the messaging platform in its net update would allow users to hide their phone numbers, giving Hong Kong protesters full protection against these monitoring activities.

“If the internet is down, do you have alternative ways of communication?” I asked. Wong replied that the government can’t shut down the Bluetooth mechanism and they could use other apps for offline messaging. He knows that they need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios. In 2014, the Umbrella movement used Firechat, a peer- to-peer communication app that uses Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi to establish a mesh network to transmit data. Other offline messaging apps are available such as Bridgefy, Air Chat, ZombieChat and more.

The pro-democracy activist compares the Umbrella Movement to a traditional encyclopedia. This year’s “Summer of Discontent,” is more like Wikipedia, meaning he’s no longer the editor. Anyone can engage in this movement spontaneously. The courage of the Hong Kong protestors is inspiring. China would never understand Hong Kong’s leaderless movement. The arrest of Joshua Wong and others would not stop the HK protests unless they meet all the five demands.

The post How protest technology is being used by the leaderless movement in Hong Kong appeared first on .

First published at the Sunday Times & IT , November 10, 2019

The words “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “fake news” mean different things to different people. Google refers to disinformation as deliberate efforts to deceive and mislead using the speed, scale and technologies of the open web. What is disturbing is several Marcos videos proliferate in YouTube which contain several fallacies which have been debunked already. One example is the order of Marcos “not to fire” at EDSA protesters when in fact there was an order to decimate mutineers on EDSA.

I got a copy of How Google Fights Disinformation from Yves Gonzales, Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Philippines to understand how disinformation is being handled. Facebook looks at inauthentic coordinated behavior of the accounts.

Subscribers or account names are not an issue in the YouTube platform if their content does not violate community guidelines. My issue is when video content is misleading or contain half-truths. In a Marcos propaganda video, a text description reads “After 25 years, it is now obvious that Cory administration is more violent with more journalist dead in her 6 years’ term compared to Marcos’ 20 years.” Where are the facts to support this?

Google’s approach to tackling disinformation in their products and services is based around a framework of three strategies: make quality count in their ranking systems, counteract malicious actors, and give users more context. They want to create a balance “between managing our users’ expectations to express themselves freely on the platform with the need to preserve the health of the broader community of the creator, user, and advertiser ecosystem.” They use three guiding principles:

1. Keep content on the platform unless it is in violation of our Community Guidelines

2. Set a high bar for recommendations

3. They view monetization on our platform as a privilege.

Beyond removal of content that violates their community guidelines, one of three explicit tactics used by YouTube to support responsible content consumption is to reduce recommendations of low-quality content. The Marcos propaganda video I mentioned will not be pulled out in YouTube, but it won’t be listed in “recommended for you” videos. The video contains half-truths, so it is not a downright violation of their policies. What it would remove though are violations on YouTube’s policies against hate and harassment. “Hate speech refers to content that promotes violence against, or has the primary purpose of inciting hatred against, individuals or groups based on certain attributes, such as race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status or sexual orientation/gender identity. Harassment may include abusive videos, comments, messages, revealing someone’s personal information, unwanted sexualization, or incitement to harass other users or creators.”

For example, content that claims that the Earth is flat or promises a “miracle cure” for a serious disease might not violate their Community Guidelines, but they “don’t want to proactively recommend it to users”. The intention is to get this right for their users. They use people as evaluators to provide input on what makes up disinformation or borderline content under their policies, which in turn informs their ranking systems.

As media consumers, flagging the half-truths or misleading content on YouTube would help evaluators to understand context. YouTube’s artificial intelligence recommendation engine, the algorithm that directs what you see next based on your previous viewing habits and searches, could promote false and useless content in the pursuit of engagement. Google needs to look at their policies about misleading content. The enemy of truth is not the outright lie, because an outright lie is easy to see and expose. The enemy of truth is the half-truth lies coated in generalizations, which may have some truth in them but are meant to deceive. How do they now create a balance of freedom of expression on the platform with the need to preserve the health of the broader community? Lies interspersed with part truths fool people. The antidote: demand for specifics or provide context. Google provides users with more context (often text-based information) to make them more informed users on the content they consume. They provide information panels that contain additional contextual information and links to authoritative third-party sites so users couldmake educated decisions about the content they watch on their platform.

While most Marcos-related videos attempting to revise history are not searchable and circulate among closed groups, let’s not underestimate closed spaces in niche social networks. Many of us are already using messenger apps because Facebook or Twitter could be stressful. With the popularity of closed, niche networks and group-chat apps, links to misleading content can re-posted in various groups. More work needs to be done in fighting disinformation. I commend the recent launch of #ThinkFirst campaign of Google and their partners to bring awareness and unite diverse stakeholders to promote media and information literacy in the country.

Download How Google Fights Disinformation. https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-uniblog-publish-prod/documents/How_Google_Fights_Disinformation.pdf

The post How Google fights disinformation on YouTube appeared first on .

What were the year’s hot issues on Twitter? Every year, Twitter releases #ThisHappened, the most tweeted hashtags. Trending moments in the Philippines were in entertainment, Korean pop music, brands, emojis and sports. Maine Mendoza is the top account most tweeted about. Interestingly, #MaineMendoza nailed the top hashtag. The Twitter Philippines (@twitterPH) timeline did not publish the dominant news-related hashtags in the Philippines. So, I went through the global Top 10 news-related hashtags, which include #NotreDame, Start of the Reiwa era; #Venezuela, #Brexit, Typhoon Hagibis, #PrayForAmazona, #Hongkong, #ClimateStrike, #ChristChurch and #DemDebate.

Twitter trending topics is where I draw inspiration for some of my articles. I have featured three topics in this column. My daughter’s passion in protecting our environment prompted me to write about #ClimateStrike at the ‹#CoveringClimateNow and social movements, #FridaysForFuture and #ExtinctionRebellion (Sept. 22, 2019). Meeting Josh Wong in Berlin gave me the opportunity to describe ‘How protest technology is being used by the leaderless movement in Hong Kong” (Sept. 15, 2019). The hashtag #PrayForAmazona compelled me to address climate change by calling out for more people to “Stand up for our environment” (Aug. 25, 2019) and ‹Harnessing community involvement in protecting our forests’ (Aug. 11,2019).

Greta Thunberg, Time Person of the Year 2019, inspired many hashtags such as #climatestrike which has reached the Philippine youth. The Zero Waste Youth Pilipinas (https://www.facebook.com/ZeroWasteYouthPilipinas/) is the Philippines counterpart for the Fridays for Future. Filipino youths are leading the call for urgent and ambitious actions by organizing #ClimateStrikes happening around the country. Alcides Velasquez, a researcher on social media and political activism and participation at the University of Kansas says, “There is a perception among adults that children would be more effective at trumpeting future-looking messages.”

Our youth learn from observing people similar to them. “If you want young people to get involved, showing them that another teenager could do this type of stuff would be very empo­wering,” Velasquez added. I chatted to a close friend of mine whose daughter in High School joins Climate strikes in Metro Manila. Joining the Climate strike is not just because it is a global movement. Both the school and parents encourage less carbon footprint living. They encourage recycled materials.

We could learn from Thunberg’s approach to win the hearts and minds of the world.

1. Facts based narrative is more effective. Thunberg refers often to figures released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in October 2018 on the impact of 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming.

2. Provocative words without being too aggressive grab attention. An example is her words to the world leaders in “How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood.”

3. Providing solutions and actionable plans. Though it is challenging to keep carbon emissions level low, every action counts. Thunberg’s speech and the climate strike movement that drew millions to the streets sparked real progress on this issue.

“How the #BabaeAko hashtag campaign cultivated a movement” (July 8, 2018) lists most of the tips on how to evolve from a social campaign to a movement. Though social media networks are being used by disinformation producers and actors, advocating a call to action to a problem is possible. While social media tools are a central component of almost any movement, there is more work ahead such as providing a platform for those without access to the internet, giving voice to the voiceless, and advocating social media for good. Trending hashtags grab media attention which could lead to a movement. An attitudinal shift could happen by transforming anger into a global movement calling for urgent change. #ThisHappened2019 in the news and other topics wraps up the decade. I am looking forward with hope to what is tweeting in 2020 and beyond.

First published on Sunday Business & IT on December 22, 2019

The post #ThisHappened : one of the top Twitter global news-related hashtags in 2019 is #ClimateStrike appeared first on .

Frustrated with Facebook and Twitter for their “clickbait nonsense,” Jimmy Wales, a co-founder of Wikipedia, created WT.Social in October 2019. WT.Social  is a social networking service, in which users contribute to “SubWikis.” Unlike Facebook, WT.Social shows new content first instead of engagement. As of Dec. 11, 2019, 417,553 members have signed up. Though the platform is free to join, new sign-ups are placed on a waiting list, but could be bypassed if you donate money or use an invitation link from an existing member. A friend invited me, but I was the  68,000th person on the waiting list. Fortunately, I got in after two days.

More than the clickbait nonsense and ads, digital disinformation producers and actors abuse the freedom to use Facebook and Twitter. A  North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) study reported four models of disinformation in the Philippines, such as the In-house Staff Model; Advertising and PR Model; Clickbait Model and the State-sponsored model. The latter leads to “silencing, self-censorship, and chilling effects among dissenters and the public.” Removing coordinated inauthentic behavior by Facebook is not that easy for them. Hybrid accounts (where a real person manages many fake accounts) are difficult to detect. One could just imagine the number of moderators needed to review pieces of content posted every day. Recommendations from the NATO study suggest a process-oriented rather than content-oriented policy response as the most effective solution to combat disinformation. Such interventions “should not be about speech regulation and censorship, which could potentially inflict myriad harms to free speech.”  Greater transparency and accountability in campaign finance, platform bans, fact-checking and industry regulation needs to be ensured.

A community of moderators that collaborate on news content in WT.Social was both a process-oriented and content-oriented response. The subject on “Fighting Misinformation” was one of the default sub-wikis when I joined. Climate change was a category I selected because there are just so much lies, propaganda and disinformation from both skeptics and alarmists. Will it work? Doc Ligot, a convener of the Consortium on Disinformation and Democracy thinks it is “an interesting reaction to the backlash against ads and privacy happening with Facebook and Twitter. The donation-volunteer model worked for Wikipedia for going on two decades, and if this gets enough user support it could work.” Right now, I am still observing the conversations in the communities I follow. Ligot said it is too early to have an impression on the functionality since it is a work in progress. If the momentum is maintained, and it delivers the unbiased newsfeed or topics along with zero ads, then it could be a good alternative. The potential as a powerful platform for consuming and sharing news is there but would need more tweaking as more users join.

Wales’ social network would rely on a community of users to enforce standards of good behavior. I expect this would work because Reddit’s r/politics could manage misinformation with its 5.6 million members. A Reddit moderator, “Qu1nlan” in an interview said when they see fake news, which is not correct, they encourage their user base to fact-check it themselves with a comment. An example is “well, here’s why this news is fake, and here are the sources to back it up. And here’s why you shouldn’t believe everything that you see on the Internet.” WT.Social model is different because other users could edit or delete content.

Tired with Facebook and Twitter? Then, WT.Social is for you. While Facebook or Twitter would still be my social media platforms, I would use WT.Social for niche communities on Climate Change and Fighting Misinformation. Before posting anything, check out “A Beginner’s Guide to WT.Social” thread. When you first “Write something” to create a post in a SubWiki or on your profile, one is given a choice between two radio buttons: Collaborative and Individual. Collaborative is best when you’re unsure of your information. Every post shows a detailed history showing changes made. Every post could be rolled back to an earlier version, only by you if it was initially set to Individual, or by anyone if set to Collaborative. While WT.Social still needs to increase its user base, I look forward to seeing it succeed as an alternative to Facebook and Twitter.

First published in Sunday Business & IT, December 15, 2019

The post WT.Social, an alternative to Facebook and Twitter? appeared first on .

How did you learn about the eruption of Taal Volcano on Jan. 12, 2020? Many of us got alerted in our social media feeds. During the long ride home from the beach, photos of Taal Volcano spewing ash and smoke into the air started showing up on my Facebook account at 2:45 p.m. Searching keywords on Twitter from a credible news source confirmed with the caption “Taal Volcano erupts on Sunday afternoon.”  By 3 p.m.,  I posted on Facebook and Twitter that “Phivolcs raises Alert Level 2 over Taal Volcano as it releases steam in phreatic explosion.”

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is my source of information for alerts that arise from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami and other related geotectonic phenomena. Phivolcs website (phivolcs.dost.gov.ph) issues comprehensive bulletins. In fact, Phivolcs recorded volcanic earthquakes and provided Alert Level 1 over Taal Volcano beginning March 2019. Looking at the traffic stats on recent posts, only less than 2,000 people read the articles prior to the 2:30 p.m. Taal Volcano bulletin of Alert Level 2 on Jan. 12, 2020. Scrolling down their Twitter timeline, most of the updates prior to the eruption pertained to earthquakes recorded around the Philippines.

Posted on Phivolcs twitter timeline at 3:19 PM, January 12, 2020

None on Alert Level 1 for Taal Volcano which was posted on their website that morning. All this information would have been valuable if there was a working disaster information management system that delivers the alerts down to the local government units (LGU) and other relevant government agencies. Cavite Fourth District Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr is seeking an investigation on why “no news bulletins or SMS alerts” were available prior to the eruption of Taal Volcano on the afternoon of January 12. For the lawmaker, there was a “lack of dissemination of information in the hazards of volcanic activity of Taal Volcano” to the public.

Who needed help? Where are the evacuation centers? Such information was not available soon after the ashfall unless one knew how to search information online. Without a centralized and organized data system, information chaos is bound to happen. Take for example my friend who related his frustration on how it took three days for him to convince his family to evacuate. With all the information online and from neighbors, family members got more confused and refused to leave. Initially, they fled not knowing where to go and just followed some people to places that turned out weren’t safe either. My friend stresses that “we must combat fake news. What’s more dangerous is the confusion that buries legitimate information.”

While Rep. Barzaga is investigating what went wrong, we could help fight disinformation by sharing verified information from legitimate sources.  More than fact-checking, we need truth tellers. Know the websites and social media pages for accurate information on the Taal Volcano eruption. For updates on disaster assessment and response, check out the website of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at ndrrmc.gov.ph.  Phivolcs provides updates for bulletins, advisories, and updates on volcano eruptions and earthquakes. The LGU is also a good source of information if corroborated with Phivolcs and NDRRMC. I recommend getting updates only from official, reliable sources, like government agencies and media who are known to vet information.

Minimizing information chaos starts with us. When you see a post seeking help, what do you need to do? The motivation to help is admirable but don’t share right away. You might be sharing deliberately false or outdated rescue post for the #ReliefPH efforts.

I have also written in a previous column (July 22, 2018) that in the initial hours of a disaster, we should not expect the disaster agencies, rescue teams, and law enforcers to be our first responders because it is possible that many of them would themselves be affected.

A family needs to have a preparedness plan during emergencies and a survival kit, which could just be a huge backpack or a large plastic pail with the basics you need like food, water, medicines and packing in a transistor radio, power bank, flashlights, extra batteries, some clothes, and blankets. We can prevent another information chaos when national government, media and private sector sit down and organize a working Disaster Information Management System.

First published at the Sunday Business & IT , Manila Times, January 19, 2020

The post Let’s work on a disaster information management system appeared first on .

Originally published in Sunday Business & IT on March 22, 2020

How is everybody doing in the time of the Luzon lockdown or community quarantine in your province? Much as I want to help in the frontlines, I am within the high risk category that is strongly advised to stay at home. No matter the age or our abilities, we all have something to contribute in our battle against the the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic during a lockdown or community quarantine.

I have heard advice that we must also observe social distancing in social media. While there are several activities we could do at home, we could harness social media for good.

In this time of anxiety and uncertainty, we need someone to talk to or connect with through support systems. Even sharing creative moments or memes through #QuaratineLife and #StayatHomeChallenge hashtags cheered some netizens. Making fun of toilet paper is driving people to laugh despite the anxiety. My daughter asked her Twitter followers to post photos of their kitchen experiments since many are spending lots of time at home. Considering most restaurants are closed, netizens in Metro Manila shared contact details of food delivery, including GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Natalie Barnes, “We are Social” interim head of editorial, shared a bulletin on how social media gives the true support system in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social media is a valuable tool in getting important information out and in connecting and helping communities around the world. A study from “Obviously,” an influencer agency, showed a 22-percent increase in Instagram campaign impressions from Q4 2019 to Q1 2020, and a 27-percent jump in engagement on average on TikTok from February to March. Lizzo, with her 8.4 million Instagram followers, started a meditation to “promote healing during this global crisis.” Urging her fans to be safe and responsible, she adds, “We can’t be afraid of each other, so that means we have to be doing the right things to be safe: face masks, washing hands… So, we’re going to take all of this fear and transmute it into love.” Having light moments on social media is a respite from the sad reality of confirmed cases all over the world.

Image via Prachatai on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

I’ve seen overwhelming support for those who are vulnerable, the healthcare workers and the local communities and homeless families during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. The hashtag #ProtectTheFrontline is a call to help our health workers on the frontline of the Covid-19. Journalists from various news organizations met online to suggest common hashtags such as #Covid19PH (Philippines news about Covid-19); #coronavirus (information about the virus); #Covid19Quarantine (updates on areas under quarantine); #ReliefPH + #Covid19PH (relief operations and donations) and #LuzonLockdown (updates on the enhanced community quarantine for Luzon). Now that many are working at home, netizens are keenly watching out the work of their respective local government units (LGU) and debunking false claims of trolls. One LGU example is the Twitter support for Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto through hashtags #ProtectVico and #Vivico. A twitter user noticed that “Vico Sotto is the prime example of what a government should do. I couldn’t believe we’re so deprived of good governance to the point that we’re praising someone doing stuff that’s literally part of their job description.”

Aside from sharing information on LGU news, proper hygiene and verified health advice, observing proper hygiene and debunking misinformation, we could also support our healthcare workers or help ease the difficulties of those whose lives have been affected by the ongoing lockdown. The website flipscience.ph curated a list of local fundraisers and donation drives you could support, organized by beneficiary and sector: 1) for medical professionals and health workers; 2) for scientists involved in Covid-19 testing and 3) for workers, families, and communities in need of material assistance.

Together with Rock Ed Philippines, Doc Gia Baquiran Sison, Gang Badoy Capati, Rosario Juan and other generous individuals, they carry out efforts to provide healthcare workers with nourishing meals using hashtags #RockEdRelief and #FrontlineFeedersPH. And if you are still restless, chatterpack.net gives a list of free, online, boredom-busting resources such as virtual tours, online learning, geography and nature, music, arts and culture, literature online, entertainment, mental health, and prayers resources. Scribd’s digital library is free for the next 30-days through a special link (scr.bi/ReadFree). No credit card or subscription commitment required. Our virtual neighborhood extends to closed spaces where we share these tidbits of information.

Social media efforts are very inspiring as these enable us to protect and preserve the spirit of community in the time of the Covid-19. “By harnessing it openly and authentically, we can create global networks of inspiration, support, empathy and kindness — values that bring us as close together as possible,” Barnes concluded. I am thankful for the bayanihan spirit in my virtual neighborhood.

The post The power of the social media community in the time of COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on .

I stand with Maria Ressa , Rey Santos & Rappler . The guilty verdict vs. Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr. is an attack against us all because it sets a dangerous precedent for anyone with online content.

Anyone and everyone could be sued for cyber-libel for anything posted since the start of the internet and NOT just as far back as 12 years.

The day before the promulgation of the ludicrous cyber-libel case against Maria Ressa, former Rappler researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos Jr., I made my stand whatever the verdict would be.

“I support free speech and the constitutional right of the public to know .

Weaponising the law to stifle freedom of the press is not only unconstitutional but also unpatriotic . We must be worthy of our freedoms and fight if these are strangled.”

I shared this on my twitter account.

WeaponisIng the law to stifle freedom of the press is not only unconstitutional but also unpatriotic. We must be worthy of our freedoms & fight if these are strangled. #DefendPressFreedom #HoldTheLine #courageON @rapplerdotcom @mariaressa pic.twitter.com/rha17dNNup

— Noemi L. Dado (@momblogger) June 14, 2020

Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 issued her ruling on June 15, 2020. Guilty.

Decision – convicting Maria… by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado on Scribd

I felt shaken and devastated but this does not stop me from voicing out my stand.

I stand with Maria Ressa , Rey Santos & Rappler . The guilty verdict vs. Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr. is an attack against us all because it sets a dangerous precedent for anyone with online content.

Let me quote an excerpt from our joint statement with the Consortium on democracy & disinformation.

The decision was UNJUST, because the crux of the court’s reasoning was based on a falsehood. For the Cybercrime Prevention Act, which became law in September 2012, to apply to the Rappler story published four months before, in May 2012, the court had to resort to the legal doctrine of republication. The court said the “update” to the article made in February 2014 satisfied that doctrine. “The court considers the update a republication of the article.” But Rappler testified that it was only a mere correction of a misspelling: “evasion” had been spelled “evation.” Judge Estacio-Montesa sweeps this all away with an appalling display of ignorance: “the original article published on 29 May 2012 can no longer be found. Only the 19 February 2014 version presently exists and [is] accessible on the internet.” But this is false. In fact the original article can still be found, through resources such as the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, a long-standing repository of web pages. And sure enough, anyone—including Judge Estacio-Montesa, who lectures on cybercrimes—can find the original article there, where the word “evation” can be easily seen.

Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa is not aware that there is an archive of the original article with the “evation” mispelling.

“The decision also betrays a limited computer know-how when it stated that the original article that is subject of a libel complaint could no longer be found online and only the corrected version is available. The judge could have asked for the assistance of a computer literate student to easily call up the piece from internet archives.”, Women Writing Women Philippines said in their statement.

I agree with John Nery when he describes the ruling as “A nauseous verdict, an ignorant judge”. I hope the case can be appealed and new evidence will be presented.

Rappler issued a statement that “Today’s verdict sets a dangerous precedent not only for journalists but for everyone online. It weakens the ability of journalists to hold power to account as the one-year prescription period of libel is extended to 12 years. Even before the cybercrime law took effect, Filipino journalists and press freedom advocates had been pushing for the decriminalization of libel. This ruling, coupled with the cybercrime law, has made the space for a free press, free speech, and free expression even tighter and narrower.” Anyone and everyone will be affected.

Allow me to share some excerpts of the many statements from individuals and organizations:

We stand with @MariaRessa and journalists around the world who are being persecuted for doing their jobs and holding power to account. Governments should not impinge on the fundamental values of a #FreePress.

It must end now.https://t.co/hLMK61gb1g

— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) June 15, 2020

Maria Ressa was convicted in the Philippines yesterday for doing her job.

As Amal Clooney wrote, the message to other journalists is “Keep quiet, or you’ll be next.”

We must fiercely protest attacks on the press. They are attacks on democracy. https://t.co/YYyamMVfht

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 15, 2020

“The decision basically affirms the State’s manipulation and weaponization of the law to stifle criticism and dissent, allowing the retroactive application of the law for a supposed offense committed before it existed by the simple expedience of declaring a typographical correction a “republication”, and recalibrating the prescription period for the offense.” National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

“This dangerous precedent (among others already set by the administration) puts not just media practitioners in danger of being charged with libel, but practically anyone who publishes anything online. The Court itself highlighted this in its decision by acknowledging that mere netizens “can be held accountable for any defamatory posts or comments in the internet.”” FMA denounces guilty verdict on Rappler’s Maria Ressa and Rey Santos Jr.

“It is time to decriminalize libel, whether online or offline, and take away the participation of the state in disagreements on speech. The state has no business aiding and abetting a private person’s demand for restitution for hurt feelings from another person’s expression, whether made offline or online. The Filipino people would be better served if the state promoted the protection of our constitutionally-guaranteed rights, and this protection must equally extend to our rights online as they should for our rights offline.”Democracy.Net.PH expresses its disappointment with the misapplication of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175)

“Today’s conviction and sentencing of Maria Ressa of up to six years in jail is an outrageous crime against press freedom,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “Although out on bail while she appeals the verdict, Ressa’s wrongful conviction sends a message to all journalists that you could be next if you report critically on President Rodrigo Duterte’s government.” Committee to Protect Journalists response to the guilty verdict in the cyber libel case against Rappler editor Maria Ressa in the Philippines

“It’s a menacing blow to press freedom in the Philippines and adds a new weapon in a growing legal arsenal against constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties in an Asian outpost of democracy. FOCAP journalists will press on with their courageous, fair, accurate and independent journalism.” Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines

“The government should reverse this alarming affront to justice and quash the convictions of Rappler’s Ressa and Santos,” Robertson said. “The prosecution was not just an attack on these individual journalists but also a frontal assault on freedom of the press that is critical to protect and preserve Philippines democracy.” Committee to Protect Journalists , In response to the guilty verdict in the cyber libel case against Rappler editor Maria Ressa in the Philippines.

“The verdict against Maria Ressa highlights the ability of the Philippines’ abusive leader to manipulate the laws to go after critical, well-respected media voices whatever the ultimate cost to the country,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Rappler case will reverberate not just in the Philippines, but in many countries that long considered the country a robust environment for media freedom.”Rappler Verdict a Blow to Media Freedom, Human Rights Watch Philippines

“We must not tire of reminding our government that they have a sworn duty to protect and preserve the democracy upon which a truly progressive and strong nation is founded.” , Free the Artist Movement

“The Women Writing Women joins the rest of the media community in condemning the guilty verdict and denouncing the acts of the Duterte administration to undermine press freedom, impair the practice of critical and independent media, and endanger the lives of journalists. We will continue to defend press freedom and hold the line.” , Women Writing Women Philippines

“We are dismayed by the verdict against one of the truly courageous journalists of our time and urge the Philippines to change its law which threatens the media and take immediate steps to stop the persecution of Maria and her colleague Reynaldo.”Salil Tripathi, Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee.

” Ironic as it may sound, while the conviction seems to demand accountability from journalists on a supposed offense of cyber libel, the very decision itself removed the public’s opportunity to demand accountability from the greater and more powerful authority of government through the courageous press.” Reporters Without Borders

“Critical reporting is important in a democracy and the people should see the workings of the Duterte administration, warts and all. Any move to limit this basic freedom enshrined in the Constitution is an attack on freedom of speech.

We will not be cowed. We will continue to respect the people’s right to information. We will continue to fight for our democratic right to a free media.” Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines

““With this latest assault on independent media, the human rights record of the Philippines continues its free fall. It is time for the UN to urgently open an international investigation into the country’s human rights crisis, in line with the recent conclusions of the UN Human Rights office itself.” Amnesty International

“We are worried what kind of a precedent this sets for our equally endangered colleagues in the arts and culture sector, who may face a range of charges, simply for asserting and putting into practice our Constitutionally-protected right to speak out against injustice.”, Concerned Artists of the Philippines

“Philippines: Cyber-libel conviction of Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos a blow to freedom of expression and media online

JUNE 16, 2020
Today, the ICJ condemned the prosecution and conviction of journalists Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos, Jr. after the Manila Regional Trial Court found them guilty of cyber-libel for an article published on the news website Rappler. The ICJ called for the judgment to be reversed on appeal.

The ICJ also called on the Philippines to reform its laws to remove the possibility of criminal sanction for defamation and libel offenses, in line with its international legal obligations. The ICJ recalled that imprisonment for such offenses is never permissible.

“The guilty verdict is a new low for the Duterte administration, and adds to an atmosphere of intimidation that creates a chilling effect on online expression, especially for journalists seeking to hold the government to account,” said Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia-Pacific Director. “The conviction is not only a miscarriage of justice in this particular case; it also sets a terrible precedent for the use of criminal defamation laws to prosecute speech online in the Philippines and elsewhere in the region.” International Commission of Jurists (https://www.icj.org/philippines-cyber-libel-conviction-of-maria-ressa-and-reynaldo-santos-a-blow-to-freedom-of-expression-and-media-online/) (ICJ)

“If left unchallenged, the verdict would make oppression of press freedom and free expression the law of the land, and shatter the Bill of Rights guaranteed by the Constitution. It would render journalists and citizens defenseless against government and officials who will use anything and everything to evade accountability and to silence those who dare ask them questions.” Let’s Organize for Democracy and Integrity – LODI

To be updated

The post I hold the line with Maria Ressa et. al. appeared first on .

On World Social Media Day on June 30, the United Nations expressed its hope to reach billions of social media users with this new message — “Pause. Take care before you share” — to combat misinformation.

“We are in a moment of global reckoning, from the pandemic sweeping across the globe to worldwide protests for racial justice to the climate emergency. Misinformation hate speech and fake news is fuelling and distorting all of the challenges. It acts as a virus. It exploits our weakness. Our biases. Our prejudices. Our emotions,” the UN said on its website.

A lot of misconceptions and mistruths about the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as not as severe as dengue, tuberculosis, influenza are being spread in Cebu, said Dr. Ted Herbosa, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) adviser, in an interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News last week.

“The effect, really, is you see the greater transmission of the virus and more people getting admitted to the hospitals… These are preventable deaths. If the transmission is controlled, we actually save a lot of lives,” he added.

“Early identification and clinical care saves lives” is one of the five priorities issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on June 29. We must not underestimate Covid-19 just because 80 percent of cases are mild and the sufferers recover. If you or your loved one happens to fall in the 20 percent and gets hospitalized, you would realize how important prevention and early intervention are.

My thoughts and prayers go to my beloved Cebu, where my relatives and childhood friends live. What breaks my heart is that the Covid-19 fatalities in Cebu are not just numbers to me. Early intervention could have prevented their deaths. You see, misinformation could make one complacent.

Look at tuob, or the practice of steam inhalation where one covers his or her head with a sizeable piece of cloth to inhale steam from a small basin with boiled water infused with salt, ginger, eucalyptus or other herbs. I recall the tuob sessions I had as a child whenever I was sick with the common cold and steam inhalation relieved my cold symptoms. Nothing wrong with traditional or alternative medicine as a supportive measure, but one cannot say it is a cure without clinical evidence.

Maria Rosario Vergeire, Health undersecretary and spokesman, says there is no scientific evidence that tuob could kill Covid-19. In its June 25 statement, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) disputed the claim of Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia that tuob treats the viral disease. “Worse, if the person was asymptomatic and not yet tested, then the feeling of well-being from the steam inhalation may cause this person to relax or forget safeguards, such as wearing of face masks and/or face shields, social distancing, regular handwashing and meticulous hygiene,” it warned. Resorting to tuob may think it protects one from Covid-19, and this could lead to complacency.

Leaders need to take the lead in the guidelines the IATF-EID issued. Despite the task force’s order for people going out of their homes to wear a face mask or other similar protective gear, Garcia doesn’t like to wear one and tries to justify it. Her reason: inhaling the carbon dioxide by her mouth would cause “overall exhaustion, lower my immune system and affect my brain.” According to multiple fact-checkers and sources from the #CoronaVirusFacts Alliance Database, the governor’s reason is tagged as “partly false:”

“For hypercapnia and hypoxia to happen, you need an extremely high concentration of CO2 (carbon dioxide). Too much CO2 could definitely be life-threatening, but for this to happen, the mask needs to be completely glued to your skin at all times, which would definitely restrain your breathing,” Fact Check Philippines said in its Facebook page.

Protecting ourselves and others means following WHO’s advice of “physical distancing, hand hygiene, covering coughs, staying home if you feel sick, wearing masks when appropriate, and only sharing information from reliable sources.” We must discern the source of information and be mindful about the information coming from the media, government and other citizens with the goal of saving lives and countering misinformation. The fight against #COVID19 is also a fight against misinformation. Misinformation spreads like a virus, so it is best to #TakeCareBeforeYouShare.

Learn more about the UN Verified campaign to fight misinformation at http://shareverified.com/en.

First published on July 5, 2020 at the Sunday Business & IT

The post Pause. #TakeCareBeforeYouShare . The fight against #COVID19 is also a fight against misinformation. appeared first on .

Two calamity-specific hashtags have been adopted after Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (international name: “Ketsana”): #RescuePH, which is used when someone needs rescuing or has knowledge of someone in need of rescuing; and #ReliefPH, which is used by social media users themselves in need of or have information on individuals and/or communities in need of relief goods and services. The hashtag is also used as a catch-all for updates on relief aid provided.

Netizens created these two hashtags in 2012 at the height of the habagat (southwest monsoon). Mass media used these hashtags so much that people started using it to call for help. According to Rosario Juan, #RescuePH became the first institutionalized practice of a unified hashtag for disaster response. All media agencies agreed to use it because the Presidential Spokesman’s Office told them to. I took part in this meeting for a public and private sector online coordination during the postmortem meeting of Typhoon “Ruby” (“Hagupit”) in 2014. Organized by the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, we agreed on unified hashtags for easier dissemination of information and coordination. Present in this meeting were government agencies, members of the media, netizens and nongovernment agencies. Before starting the meeting, I recalled then-Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon warning us to set aside political differences, since some of us were critical of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, including myself. An output of that meeting led to a “Social Media Style Guide during Natural Calamities” aside from defining government and media roles.

I have not seen the continuity of the previous administration’s coordination efforts. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed a general lack of disaster preparedness and urgency. No high alert and no massive preemptive evacuation were undertaken prior to “Ulysses” (“Vamco”), unlike Typhoon “Rolly” (“Goni”), as gleaned from the NDRRMC Twitter feed and situation reports.

In the initial hours of a disaster, I am aware agencies, rescue teams and law enforcers may not be our first responders as it is possible that many of them will themselves be affected, or rescue is just impossible because of rising flood waters, but there could be rescuers in nearby communities that could help. Juan looked back at how netizens and government worked together, setting aside political colors.

“The government worked with the people. We were able to coordinate with them. Then they used crowdsourced data to help NDRRMC and the coast guards. Open lines of communication and coordination happened because there was a mandate from the President to work with everyone to get things done.” Even the Google crisis response team was on board because they had open communication lines with Undersecretary Quezon.

Many netizens turned to the Twitter feed of Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo to receive updates on rescue efforts in Isabela and Cagayan, and netizens messaged her Facebook account, appealing for help. Robredo provided assurance on social media, “Whenever we get updates from the ground, we share them with the public. It is important to assure those who are distressed that (1) we heard you; (2) help is coming; (3) we are doing all we can to save you.”

NDRRMC should have been more active online, in providing real-time updates and coordination of rescue efforts. Even the Laging Handa twitter account, which is the Crisis Communications Center of the Philippines, showed no updates since November 4. Its Facebook account describes itself as “Emergency Rescue Service,” but real-time updates of rescue and relief operations were not available. Citizens helped by reporting on-ground situation which we used for our Rescue mapping efforts. This was then shared with the Office of Civil Defense. During an emergency, President Rodrigo Duterte should be on top of the situation instead of making excuses and ranting about the Vice President’s efforts. Why create a new inter-agency task force, distinct from the NDRRMC to fast-track relief efforts for typhoon victims? We need to learn from these disasters and re-establish a workflow for future disasters and other emergencies. We need to bring back public and private sector online coordination where political differences are set aside. Perhaps the Presidential Communications Group can initiate a postmortem meeting on Typhoon Ulysses.

Here is the rescue map used by #RescuePH bit.ly/rescuephmap (crowd-sourcing map to identify individuals/people in need of rescue and relief response) and the response map, bit.ly/respondersmap (for easier reference for response/rescue teams).

First published at the Sunday Business & IT

The post The power of social media during natural calamities appeared first on .

As I write this , it would have been a year since the Luzon lockdown. It is time to take stock in looking at Covid-19 in the eyes of social media and being part of the solution.

During this time of social distancing, top messaging platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Viber facilitated conversations about the coronavirus, while at the same time allowing misinformation to spread. The severity and reality of Covid-19 was also questioned. Even friends doubted if masks made a difference. Then there is the politics surrounding the pandemic, which deserves its own space on my Twitter account.

Though conspiracy theories and uncertainties about the reality of the coronavirus hounded social media, the best engagement in the initial days of the pandemic was the overwhelming support from various communities. Volunteers raised their hands to help the vulnerable, the health care workers, and the local communities and homeless families. The hashtag #ProtectTheFrontline was the call to help our health workers on the frontline.

Friends and other generous individuals coordinated efforts in order to provide health care workers with nourishing meals, even transportation, using hashtags #RockEdRelief and #FrontlineFeedersPH. Virtual concerts and shows kept us entertained in social media platforms. Zoom and other web conferencing software kept us in touch with loved ones and helped ease the isolation.

The ugly side of social media is the misinformation about vaccine safety, which is a barrier to vaccine uptake needed to beat the virus. As early as February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) dubbed the new coronavirus as a massive “infodemic.” Big social media companies are starting to take action to curb falsehoods and conspiracy theories in public spaces. But most of the harmful misleading narratives about Covid-19 vaccinations are being shared in messaging platforms, groups or closed spaces. No wonder a December 2020 survey conducted by OCTA Research found that only 25 percent of Metro Manila respondents were willing to get an anti-Covid vaccination. Another survey conducted by Pulse Asia between November and December 2020 showed that only 32 percent of Filipinos wanted to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and 47 percent did not want to get vaccinated at all because of safety concerns.

Does one keep quiet or speak up when someone sends unverified content? Results of the survey “News Habits and Covid-19: A Southeast Asian Lens,” conducted by the Reporting Asean series in nine Southeast Asian countries, reveal that online users are divided on how they handle situations like these. Around 40 percent of the total 118 respondents chose the response “I keep quiet but do not pass the information on” when asked to select which among seven options “best describes what you usually do” when receiving material whose reliability or authenticity they couldn’t readily tell. To keep silent is to allow the misinformation to spread.

A Filipino media professional in the Reporting Asean survey finds it tricky when correcting a family member. But she tries to be “gentle” when alerting them to untrue content by sharing links to the verification website snopes.com. “I don’t call them out in public so they can save face and, instead, I message them privately,” she added. I asked my friends in Clubhouse, a social audio app, on how they addressed vaccine hesitancy among friends or relatives. We all agreed that educating ourselves on the vaccine should start by talking to our family physician and reading from credible websites endorsed by the Vaccine Safety Net (https://www.vaccinesafetynet.org/) or WHO. Two friends described their experience in talking to family members who did not want to get vaccinated due to safety concerns. It is not a matter of presenting facts about the efficacy of the vaccine. Listening to their fears is the first step. Answers given out by the Covid-19 vaccines section at the WHO website then addressed each concern. A dedicated page of “myth busters,” featuring fact-based answers to the most common misconceptions about Covid-19, is also an excellent resource. While our friends will still share unverified content in these closed spaces, the good news is at least more individuals now ask, “Fake news?” In these closed groups, we could serve as amplifiers, disseminating accurate health information to people organically.

First published at the Sunday Business & IT, March 21, 2021

The post Tackling misinformation in closed social media spaces appeared first on .