Facebook ban spurs picket at Ateneo de Davao
Students and some faculty members picketed the Ateneo de Davao University last week in protest of the restrictions imposed on them in going online on social networking site Facebook within campus. Students complained that they were required to pay more than P1,300 as âinformation technology fee" each semester. But the administration of Ateneo de Davao clarified that Facebook is ânot totally banned" in their university, but rather the restrictions prohibit students from going to the popular site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only. School officials said that the sheer number of people who go on Facebook on campus heavily overburdens the universityâs internet service bandwidth, such that it negatively impacts on the universityâs other online services. GMA News' newscast "Saksi" on Monday reported on the picket.
âMost of our books are not really physically in the library. Itâs online, they [students] can read these books while they are inside the campus," Assistant to the President of Ateneo de Davao University Jeremy Eliab told GMA News. âNow, if Facebook is eating the bandwidth, itâs impossible to download the whole book," he explained. âWe want our personnel to focus more on â not on social networking â but on their necessary work, basically educational work," he added. Eliab also said the ban was also a disciplinary measure to prohibit students from accessing Facebook during their classes. Faculty statements After the official announcement of the ban, an open letter was issued stating: âThe College Faculty Union of Ateneo de Davao University (CFU) vehemently protests the blocking of social networking sites such as Facebook and Friendster, including other sites. The blocking is initiated by the Technical Service Office (TSO) of the university, as the internet site claims to be [sic]. This infringes on the freedom of information and of expression which requires thorough discussion beforehand to determine what constitutes a violation or not. The CFU will file grievance as initial and LEGAL response directed to the head of TSO." On his blog, Ateneo de Davao professor Dominique Cimafranca noted that the picketers held up placards with Facebookâs blue-and-white âf" logo and the statement âStop Facebook Ban." âThey do know what an âFâ means academically, right?" he wrote wryly that he had quipped to his fellow faculty member. Also last week, another university in Mindanao, state-run University of Southern Mindanao prohibited school personnel from going on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites during office hours. â Marlon Anthony Tonson/VS, GMA News