By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippine National Police is pushing for tougher laws against troll farms and AI-generated deepfakes, warning that online disinformation campaigns are now becoming a serious threat to public order and national security.
PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said existing laws are no longer enough to address the growing use of artificial intelligence in coordinated online attacks, fake content creation, and digital harassment.
“This has gone too far. Our laws must evolve to keep pace with AI-driven disinformation and organized troll operations,” Nartatez said.
The police chief stressed that the PNP supports stronger coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Information and Communications Technology to improve the government’s ability to investigate and dismantle online disinformation networks.
Nartatez warned that deepfakes and coordinated online harassment are no longer just social media problems, saying they now pose risks to institutional credibility and national security.
“Deepfakes and coordinated online harassment are serious public order concerns,” he said.
The PNP also admitted that current cybercrime and libel laws often fall short when dealing with large-scale, AI-assisted troll operations.
Because of this, the police force’s Anti-Cybercrime Group has intensified monitoring and crackdowns on suspected troll farms and online disinformation operators.
Authorities are now calling for clearer and stronger legal measures to speed up investigations and hold those behind digital manipulation and fake content campaigns accountable.
IA/XF
