[DECODED] From Barzaga’s suspension to X’s geolocation: Online accountability

In case you missed it, the House of Representatives suspended Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga on Monday, December 1, for “reckless, offensive, and irresponsible use of his social media platform.”

The neophyte lawmaker was suspended for 60 days, which his colleagues in Congress said would result in a “more severe” disciplinary action should he be found to repeat similar misconduct. He was ordered to remove 24 social media posts that supposedly belittled women, undermined the government, and potentially incited to sedition, according to a complaint filed by his former party mates at the National Unity Party.

Back in October, The Nerve investigated Barzaga’s social media behavior. We worked on this piece with journalist Regine Cabato, where we detailed how Barzaga grew his online following through a deliberate “shitposting” strategy – a style that uses provocative language, memes, and sometimes misleading content. We found that Barzaga’s posts were often amplified by supporters of the Duterte family, although he claimed during an interview: “It’s not just pro-Duterte. Practically everyone’s amplifying me.”

Barzaga’s Facebook followers grew by roughly 73% in a single month (September to October 2025).

Whatever one thinks about Barzaga’s suspension, it reflects one level of accountability: the kind that applies to public officials who post irresponsibly online. But there’s another level that matters just as much – if not more: the accountability of the platforms where this behavior unfolds, proliferates, and gets rewarded.

That’s where X’s (formerly Twitter) new geolocation feature comes into play. In our latest Decoded story, tech journalist Victor Barreiro Jr. dissected how X’s new geolocation feature is inconsistent and lacks clarity. He discussed how geolocation updates appear to be processed in batches, how accuracy varies depending on VPNs or a user’s travel behavior, and how there has been very little disclosure as to how it operates and what its limitations are.

“It’s hard to trust what you cannot verify, and while black boxes in big tech are normal, they are not always welcome. Having healthy skepticism in this case may be the smart move,” Victor wrote.

In some cases, however, the feature can point to inconsistencies worth scrutinizing. We looked back at our previous report on the UK Southport Riots where we found several verified X accounts posting anti-immigrant narratives. Based on X’s new geolocation feature, we found that at least six accounts are based in countries that are not the United Kingdom.

These two stories illustrate the same imbalance: online accountability is carried by users far more than by platforms themselves. But if we want healthier online spaces, the burden can’t rest entirely on individuals. It has to include the architectures that reward the behavior in the first place. – Rappler.com

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