Information and Communication Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy on Monday emphasized the need for more responsive policies in addressing cybercrime activities that threaten national security.

In the pilot episode of the Malacanang Insider program, Uy pointed out that a situation dragging high-ranking government officials and personalities in social media posts about major announcements of fake information and causing panic among the citizenry should not be tolerated and ignored.

“Well, we need to probably come up with more responsive and timely policies in order to address this ‘no especially when it comes to matters of national security,” Uy said.

“I mean, we cannot have a situation where a high government official is suddenly posted on social media announcing that’s a major disaster or an explosion or whatever causing panic to the citizenry, when in fact, that wasn’t the truth,” he added.

The DICT official cited Malaysia, which has tried addressing misbehavior in social media by imposing penalties and has now placed more government regulation by requiring licenses and permits for social media platforms.

Recognizing there could be laws specific to problems being addressed as anti-scam, anti-misinformation, anti-deep fake, Uy strongly pushed for a more comprehensive law rather than “bits and pieces” of legislation that addresses each of those activities.

“I think so, we need a new law,” Uy stressed. “Actually, I think we need to have a more comprehensive law rather than bits and pieces of legislation that addresses small items of specific items. For instance, you have an anti-scam law, you have an anti-misinformation law, you have anti-deep fake law, something like that.”

“So, I think, that’s a better way of addressing this whole thing rather than having separate laws that address all. We actually have a lot of laws and it’s very difficult to keep track and to impose them all even. So, I think, a more comprehensive approach will be appropriate,” he added. Presidential News Desk