Just recently, President Duterte told Facebook that they need to sit down and talk after the popular social media network shuts down ‘pro-government and pro-military “advocacy” pages and accounts, saying he does not see any use for it if it does not help the government in the “fight of ideas.”’ [Cebu Daily News]
Some netizens took President Duterte’s words as a hint that Malacanang will not hesitate to use its vast powers against the popular social media network if it refuses to cooperate.
Although, Malacanang already quashed the speculation circulating around social media, the talk of a possible FB shut down persists.
Let us take the words of Malacanang at face value and there is no banning of Facebook in the Philippines under the Duterte administration.
But for arguments’ sake, is it even possible? I mean banning of Facebook? Yes, it is possible, according to Manila Bulletin Tech Editor Art Samaniego Jr. in his viral FB post.
In fact, the Philippines is not the first country to threaten Facebook with a ban, and if it does, the Philippines isn’t going to be the first either, wrote Samaniego.
Samaniego mentioned Thailand doing this first in 2017 and eventually Facebook caved in.
Sri Lanka banned Facebook for a week in 2018.
I was in disbelief that free world countries like Germany, UK, France and Israel even banned some content on Facebook because it is against their respective laws.
Of course, Samaniego named a few countries where Facebook is totally banned like Syria and Iran. Partial ban in China.
You may read Art Samaniego Jr.’s original FB post below now.
‘Hindi ang Pilipinas ang unang bansa na nagbanta kay Facebook, at pag nagkataon, hindi din ang Pilipinas ang unang bansa na mag ba-ban sa social media giant na ito.
Nong 2017 kinausap ng Thailand ang FB na alisin ang mga anti government content sa platform nito. Inalis ni FB ang ilan at hinayaang manatili ang mahigit isang daang content na ayaw ng Thai government. Dahil dito nagalit ang gobyerno ng Thailand at sinabing iba-ban ang 14.8 million users sa bansa kung may nakita silang anti-government content. Tumiklop si FB at inalis lahat ang mga content na iyon. (Ang Pilipinas ay mayroong 73 million users)
Noong 2018, isang linggo na na-ban ang FB sa Sri Lanka, dahil nagagamit daw itong outlet ng mga nang gagatong upang magkaroon ng gulo.
Ang UK, Germany, France, Austria, Israel at marami pang iba ay nag ban din ng mga content na labag sa batas sa kanilang mga bansa.
Naka total ban sa Syria at Iran ang FB, naka partial ban naman ito sa China (May FB sa Shanghai noong nagpunta ako). Walang Internet ang masa sa North Korea kaya hindi lang FB ang naka ban doon.
Pwede bang i-ban ang FB sa Pilipinas? Technically pwede.
Saka, Technology Editor po ako ng Manila Bulletin, hindi po tech expert. 
Your comment?
Source: Art Samaniego
