The rise of disinformation attacks in the Philippines

By Ram Vaidyanathan

A GROWING WAVE of fake news and disinformation is sweeping over the Philippines. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, 67% of Filipinos are concerned about misinformation and disinformation in online news. Not only is that figure the highest for the country since it was first included in the report in 2020, but it is also higher than this year’s global average (58%). This comes amid the increasing use of advanced technology like deepfakes enabled by AI to spread misinformation and disinformation.

To fight back against threat actors and uphold public trust, organizations and the wider society must know how to protect themselves. That rests on understanding, anticipating, and combating disinformation with strategic precision.

PREYING ON HUMAN PERCEPTION
Malicious actors have numerous reasons for spreading misinformation or disinformation. Some may want to cause polarization. Highly targeted attacks aim to divide customers, employees, and investors with controversy to weaken trust and hinder collective response. Others may use misinformation campaigns as a social engineering vector, posing as reputable companies to disseminate false or deceptive messages that trick people into falling for phishing schemes and scam platforms that collect consumer information. In severe cases, coordinated campaigns undermine institutional credibility to manipulate market sentiment or stock prices.

Ultimately, these campaigns differ from cyberattacks on IT infrastructure by targeting human perception, forcing organizations into a game of whack-a-mole where they have to repeatedly respond to false claims. The cumulative cost of this can be a major drain on resources and morale because every hour an executive spends managing a public relations crisis is an hour not spent on strategic growth.

THE DISINFORMATION PLAYBOOK
To achieve their goals, malicious actors employ common methods of disinformation such as AI-generated deepfakes, which seem authentic and are increasingly harder to verify with the naked eye. These advanced threats have drawn the attention of regulators. According to House Bill No. 3214, people or platforms that knowingly create, share, or refuse to remove deepfake content after proper notice from authorities or relevant platforms may face two to five years of imprisonment and a P50,000-200,000 fine.

With a wealth of disinformation tactics available to threat actors, organizations have their work cut out for them. Here, the best defense is a holistic strategy that can reduce risks, enhance transparency, and boost consumer and stakeholder confidence in enterprise security and credibility.

DISINFORMATION DEFENSE: A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Offering unique business partnerships is not enough to remain competitive with enterprises from around the world; local players must diligently and proactively combat disinformation. That means taking disinformation security as seriously as global peers. According to Gartner, 50% of enterprises will implement solutions to combat disinformation by 2028. This is more than 10 times the percentage in 2024.

This dramatic shift highlights a growing awareness among executives that disinformation is more than just an occasional nuisance. It is a persistent threat that can result in significant financial damage. Philippine businesses must also come to terms with this reality and ensure that they have robust protections against disinformation.

DEFENDING TRUTH WITH SMARTER TOOLS AND TEAMS
False narratives powered by increasingly affordable AI tools put organizations on the back foot if they fail to leverage the same advanced technologies. Specialized solutions ensure they have effective, organization-wide disinformation security. These include tools that integrate disinformation response into an organization’s wider cybersecurity strategy and business continuity plans. Organizations must look to AI-powered detection and monitoring solutions, which enable the evaluation and verification of the authenticity of content by analyzing digital fingerprints and detecting AI-generated elements that are undetectable to the human eye.

However, not all AI-powered tools are created equal. It is therefore critical that AI-powered tools are equipped to cross-reference claims against verified databases and to highlight suspicious activity. A system that monitors shifts across media outlets and social media in real time can alert security teams to emerging false narratives before they gain too much traction.

Of course, tools without well-trained human operators are practically useless. Organizations must therefore invest in employee training and crisis communication to help employees quickly identify false narratives and coordinate responses. Additionally, organizations would benefit most from collaborating with regulators, fact-checkers, and industry peers on defense in order to effectively secure the Philippines’ digital economy.

Disinformation can be a powerful disruptor to the Philippines’ economic ambitions. It’s not just a public relations issue; disinformation is a core business risk and should be treated as such. Leaders must act now before false narratives take root.

Ram Vaidyanathan is the chief IT security evangelist, ManageEngine.