Gatchalian seeks social media ban for children under 16

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to ban Filipino children under 16 years of age from using any social media platforms, emphasizing the need to safeguard children from online risks and threats. 

Gatchalian filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 2066 or the Social Media Safety for Children Act last April 22. Gatchalian noted that this measure follows similar legislation in Australia, which passed the Social Media Minimum Age Act of 2024, and Indonesia, for being the first country in Southeast Asia to ban children under 16 from accessing social media. 

READ: Gatchalian revives call for social media ban for 16-year-olds and under

“It’s time to protect our children from the dangers brought by social media. Let us not wait for this to worsen before we take action,” Gatchalian, speaking Filipino, said in a statement on Friday. 

Gatchalian earlier renewed his call to ban minors 16 years old and below from using social media accounts in the country.

Citing the 2024 National Information and Communications Technology Household Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Gatchalian said that 66% of children aged 10 to 16 used social media three months before the survey was conducted.

He added that 92.4% of children aged 10 to 16 who use the internet maintain a social media account, compared to the 97.6% internet users aged 17 and above.

In his proposal, Gatchalian noted that while the figures on internet access among children are not universal, he said that “connected children engage with the internet frequently and for sustained periods, and social media participation among minors is nearly as prevalent as it is among adults.”

READ: CICC: Roblox ban still possible if child-protection commitments fail

Gatchalian also said that while the country has measures such as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act, they do not provide a comprehensive framework to protect children from access and exposure to social media.

Under the SB No. 2066, Gatchalian proposes the following:

• Prohibiting children under 16 years of age from registering, accessing, or maintaining social media accounts
• Requiring social media platforms to implement age-verification mechanisms
• Requiring social media platform providers to adopt age and identity verification systems, conduct regular audits to deactivate accounts held by age-restricted users, prevent circumvention through duplicate or reactivated accounts, provide parental control and content-filtering tools, and establish reporting and response mechanisms for underage access
• Requiring social media platforms to ensure that platform design does not promote excessive use, including limiting autoplay features, addictive notifications, and algorithm recommendations for age-restricted users
• Designating the DICT as the implementing agency of the measure, including monitoring, investigating, issuing Disabling Orders, and imposing administrative sanctions and penalties
• In case of failure to comply with Disabling Orders, the DICT must notify the National Telecommunications Commission to direct internet service providers to block the domain, URL, or IP addresses
• Imposing fines and suspension or revocation of operations for repeated non-compliance on regulation, while ensuring strict adherence to the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

/jpv /atm