Bookmark this page to catch the discussion on Thursday, August 25, at 4 pm!

MANILA, Philippines – It cannot anymore be denied that threats and harassment that plague social media can easily translate into violence in our daily lives.

Vitriol and hate spewed online by doctor Chao Tiao Yumol transformed into the killing of at least three people inside the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on July 24, 2022. The victims included former Lamitan City mayor Rose Furigay, her executive assistant Victor George Capistrano, and Ateneo security guard Jeneven Bandiala.

Yumol’s Facebook posts not only targeted the Furigay family but also critics of the Duterte administration, a reflection of the overall patterns of online attacks against any critical voice in the past six years, including activists and independent media.

On Thursday, August 25, Newsbreak Chats will tackle how online hate and disinformation fuel real-life violence and what social media platforms should do about the worsening situation.

The discussion will be led by investigative editor Chay Hofileña, who will be joined by Rappler’s digital strategy head and disinformation lead researcher Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza and digital forensics researcher Pauline Macaraeg. They will also discuss methods and what they did to put together their stories.

Mendoza recently wrote an investigative piece exposing a new level of cyber attacks against Philippine news sites. Macaraeg, meanwhile, tracked the hate and disinformation spewed by Yumol online and how the aftermath of the tragic incident played out on social media.

Are technology companies doing enough to make sure social media platforms remain safe and can ordinary citizens do anything to help stop the spread of hate and disinformation? Watch the discussion on Thursday at 4 pm! – Rappler.com

Watch other 2022 Newsbreak Chats episodes: