The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) of the Philippines approved Resolution No. 11064, a set of comprehensive guidelines regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and internet technologies in digital election campaigns. These rules are aimed at promoting fair and transparent practices during the 2025 national and local elections, as well as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections. The resolution addresses the growing role of AI and social media in political campaigning and seeks to curb the spread of disinformation and misinformation.
COMELEC, empowered by Article IX-C of the Philippine Constitution and other relevant election laws, is responsible for overseeing all election-related activities. The newly adopted resolution focuses on ensuring that AI and social media are not used to manipulate voters or distort the integrity of the election process. The guidelines come in response to the increasing use of digital platforms in campaigns, which can be exploited for spreading false information or misleading content.
The central aim of Resolution No. 11064 is to regulate the digital election environment by preventing the misuse of AI tools, social media, and internet technologies. With the rise of AI-generated content, the resolution emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability from candidates, political parties, and their supporters when using these technologies in campaigns.
The guidelines call for all digital campaign platforms, such as social media accounts, websites, podcasts, blogs, and vlogs, to be registered with COMELEC’s Education and Information Department (EID). This registration requirement applies to official campaign platforms of candidates and political parties, as well as accounts run by private individuals or entities created to influence voter behavior. Failure to register these platforms can result in penalties, including the removal or takedown of the content by the task force established under the resolution.
A significant focus of the guidelines is combating disinformation, which includes the spread of fake news, manipulated images or videos, and false claims intended to deceive or mislead voters. The resolution defines key terms like “deepfakes” and “cheapfakes,” which refer to AI-generated or manipulated media used to create a false narrative. By setting clear boundaries on the use of these technologies, the guidelines aim to safeguard the integrity of the 2025 elections.
COMELEC has also established the Task Force KKK sa Halalan (Katotohanan, Katapatan, at Katarungan sa Halalan), responsible for monitoring compliance with these guidelines. The task force will work closely with other government agencies, such as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), to detect and take down harmful content. The task force will also collaborate with accredited citizens’ arms and civil society groups to ensure that voters are informed and protected from misleading campaign materials.
One of the key provisions of the guidelines is the requirement for all campaign materials that utilize AI technology to include a clear disclosure of the fact. Whether it is a video, image, or audio clip manipulated using AI, candidates and political parties must inform voters that AI was used to create or enhance the content. These disclosures are intended to maintain transparency and ensure that voters can make informed decisions based on accurate information.
In addition to disclosing the use of AI, campaign materials must also employ technology such as digital watermarks and cryptographic metadata to verify the authenticity of the content. These technical measures will help COMELEC and the public track the provenance of digital media and prevent unauthorized alterations.
The resolution includes specific guidelines for different types of digital media, ensuring that disclosures are clear and conspicuous across all formats, including visual, audio-visual, and audio-only media.
Resolution No. 11064 outlines several prohibited acts related to the misuse of social media and AI technology in 2025 election campaigns. These include the creation and dissemination of deepfakes, the use of fake accounts or bots to amplify misleading content, and the coordination of inauthentic behavior aimed at manipulating public opinion. Any individual or entity found engaging in these activities could face penalties under the Omnibus Election Code, including legal action for election offenses.
To further enforce these rules, COMELEC’s Task Force KKK sa Halalan is empowered to issue show-cause orders to violators and, if necessary, request that social media platforms or internet service providers take down offending content. The task force will also coordinate with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in election-related disinformation campaigns.
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