Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to prohibit Filipino children below 16 years old from using any social media platform.
In a report by RH Raymund Dadpaas, the proposed measure, Senate Bill No. 2066 or the Social Media Safety for Children Act, filed on April 22, aims to strengthen the protection of minors from potential harms associated with digital exposure and unsafe online environments.
“Panahon na upang protektahan ang ating mga kabataan mula sa pinsalang dulot ng social media. Huwag na nating hintaying lumala ang problema bago tayo umaksyon,” Gatchalian said.
Under the bill, individuals aged 16 and below would be barred from registering, accessing, or maintaining accounts on any social media platform.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that 66% of children aged 10 to 16 used social media in the three months prior to the survey. Of those, 92.4% reported maintaining at least one account. The PSA also noted that 66% of children in this age group spend nearly four hours daily on social media, higher than usage among older users.
The bill requires social media platforms to implement stricter age and identity verification systems. It also mandates regular audits to detect and deactivate accounts belonging to minors.
Platform providers would likewise be required to ensure that their system designs do not encourage excessive use of social media.
According to Gatchalian, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DepEd), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and National Privacy Commission (NPC), will be tasked to draft the implementing rules and regulations within 90 days once the measure is enacted.
"Upon determination that a social media account is owned, operated, or used by an age-restricted user in violation of this Act, the DICT shall issue a Disabling Order directing the immediate removal or deactivation of such account," the bill states.
“Social media platform providers shall comply with the Disabling Order within five days from receipt thereof,” it added.
Gatchalian said the proposal is aligned with similar restrictions implemented in countries such as Australia and Indonesia for users below 16 years old.
Other countries, including Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia, Germany, Malaysia, and Spain, have also adopted comparable age-related restrictions or safeguards for minors online.
