Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is mulling a new law that would require social media platforms to seek a franchise to operate in the Philippines from Congress
This was shared by Barbers to the House tri-committee (tri-comm), which carried out its second hearing on the online spread of fake news and disinformation on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/18/barbers-floats-congressional-franchise-requirement-for-social-media-platforms
This was shared by Barbers to the House tri-committee (tri-comm), which carried out its second hearing on the online spread of fake news and disinformation on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/18/barbers-floats-congressional-franchise-requirement-for-social-media-platforms
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00:00we are contemplating on maybe perhaps asking all the social media platforms to secure a franchise in this Congress
00:14because we want to make sure that it's not just the platforms who make money, but also the Philippine government, that's one.
00:24Number two, if you are under the franchise of this government, then you will toe the line.
00:33Sorry, I do not mean toe the line, meaning you will be subject to the regulations and the rules that will be imposed under this law.
00:45Do you pay taxes for that?
00:47So Google as a company, so of course another company, Google LLC, so every Google entity pays the proper taxes in the jurisdiction where it operates.
00:59So in that case, you're paying taxes to the BIR?
01:03For every Google entity, it pays the taxes, the correct legal taxes in the country. So for the Philippines, you're correct?
01:12Yes or no? Yes, you're paying. So you have records of tax payments to our BIR?
01:18Yes. Mr. Chairman, just to clarify, so Google, the entities in the Philippines, Google Philippines, and other entities in the Philippines,
01:27they do not own nor operate the YouTube platform, and so that's why the taxes that we pay to the BIR are the ones only proper to the local entities,
01:38so not the advertising. So the platform is not operated by the local entity.
01:45But you make money out of the ads that are being shown in the channel, right? On your platform?
01:53Google LLC does.