Defending Filipinas' dignity against deepfakes and AI harassment
Celebrity Anne Curtis faced online harassment when her name was used in a vulgar analogy without her consent, highlighting the issue of deepfakes and AI-generated content. The Philippines has laws to protect against online harassment, but experts say more needs to be done to address the evolving technology.
Anne Curtis, a Filipino celebrity, was recently harassed online when her name was used in a vulgar analogy without her consent. The incident highlights the growing issue of deepfakes and AI-generated content, which can cause reputational damage, compromise safety, and devastate mental health. The Philippines passed the Safe Spaces Act in 2019 to protect against online harassment, but over 1,000 reported cases were recorded by 2023. To combat this, policymakers, platforms, and civil society must work together to implement urgent fixes, including accessible reporting, technical capacity for law enforcement, platform accountability, updated policies, and prevention through education. Reporting mechanisms should be survivor-centered and stigma-free, with confidential hotlines and streamlined online portals. Law enforcement needs training in digital forensics to handle deepfakes, and platforms must adopt clear takedown timelines and transparent reporting. The Philippines must update its policies to explicitly cover AI-generated harms and provide education on digital literacy to prevent further abuse.
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