Truth in the age of AI

The Philippine Embassy in Washington recently issued a strong warning against the spread of false information on social media that misleads the public into believing that the United States is enforcing restrictions on dual citizens and green card holders.

- JOE ZALDARRIAGA

According to the advisory, no policy changes have been made regarding the travel rights of dual citizens and legal permanent residents. The embassy urged the Filipino community to remain vigilant and "verify information through official government sources, avoid sharing unverified content, and report false information to the platform where it is published."

This news concerned me, especially considering the potential consequences if someone were to act on such malicious disinformation. While this is alarming, it's sadly unsurprising, given the relentless surge of "fake news" in our digital landscape.

That a diplomatic mission had to issue such a statement speaks volumes about the alarming spread of fake news in today's digital age—where even life-changing legal decisions can be driven by a mere social media post. A portion of the statement issued by the embassy read: "Please do not make legal decisions, such as renouncing your Philippine citizenship, based on social media content. Renunciation of Philippine citizenship is a serious, irreversible legal action."