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Should we consider online platforms as publishers?: Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked this question during the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes’ virtual hearing to review the country’s criminal laws amid the rise of social media platforms and the rapid advancement of technology Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Drilon asked Rappler's chief executive officer Maria Ressa if there is a need to consider online platforms as publishers so that they would incur the same liability as publishers in print media or in television. “Don’t get me wrong. Yes, we should defend the freedom of speech but as in any freedom there must be responsibility and in the situation that we are today because online platforms are not considered as publishers, everybody could just take on the platform and libel everyone, that’s the problem,” Drilon said. Ressa said the idea of making online platforms as publishers is something that she has thought about. (screen grab/Senate PRIB)