FB open to discuss fact-check initiative with Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — A top executive of social media giant Facebook has expressed willingness to meet with Philippine government officials to discuss the site’s recently launched fact-checking initiative in the country.

Claire Deevy, Facebook director for community affairs for Asia Pacific, said Manila has been in touch with them to discuss the new initiative.

“We are open to these discussions and this is really about getting feedback and understanding on how we make things better,” Deevy said in a roundtable discussion with select reporters yesterday morning. “We work on an issue that obviously is really important.”

Deevy said she has yet to meet with government officials on Facebook’s choice of Rappler and Vera Files as third-party fact checkers in the Philippines.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque last week said he would meet with Facebook executives to discuss the issue.

He added that the two organizations were “unacceptable” fact checkers due to partisanship, citing their history of publishing articles critical of the Duterte administration.

Both Rappler and Vera Files denied Roque’s claim of bias and reiterated their commitment to uphold fairness and non-partisanship in conducting fact checks.

During the roundtable discussion yesterday, Deevy maintained that there is no politics involved in the choice of third-party fact checkers in the Philippines.

She explained that Rappler and Vera Files are the only Philippine members of the International Fact Checking Network of Poynter Institute, which she described as the leading organization providing support to fact checkers in the world.

Deevy noted that Poynter’s accredited fact checkers subscribe to a code of principles and commit to non-partisanship and fairness; transparency of sources, funding and methodology; and openness to honest corrections.

She said Poynter, and not Facebook, decides on the applications for accreditation to be a part of the IFCN.

The Facebook executive said they are open to tapping other organizations as fact checkers provided that they become accredited first by Poynter.

“Going forward from here, we’re encouraging other organizations that have a vested interest in fact checking (to be a part of the network),” she said.