Bill for social media franchises, DICT content oversight? Not so fast

As the government moves to rein in online platforms after deadly school shootings, HB 4786 risks giving Congress and DICT sweeping power over these

AT A GLANCE

• The Philippine government is responding to recent school shootings by examining the role of online platforms in youth violence, with potential restrictions on platforms like Reddit, Discord, and Facebook.
• The SAGIP BATA Act has been passed to penalize the recruitment of children into violent activities and requires online platforms to have local representatives for better cooperation with authorities.
• House Bill No. 4786, which would require social media platforms to obtain a congressional franchise to operate in the Philippines, raises concerns about government overreach and potential abuse of power regarding content moderation and free speech.

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MANILA, Philippines – After school shootings in Tacloban, Zamboanga, and most recently South Cotabato, the government has been scrambling for answers on the role online platforms may play in exposing young people to violence.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) recently gave Reddit and Discord 24 hours to designate a local representative, warning that authorities could restrict or block the platforms if they failed to cooperate, before extending that time limit after meeting with the firms. 

A month earlier, following the Zamboanga shooting, the CICC floated a possible Facebook ban. Malacañang said restrictions could be considered, although DICT Secretary Henry Aguda later described blocking Facebook as a “last resort.”

DICT also announced that the House had called Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to appear over social media safety, only to retract that statement days later that no House resolution had actually summoned or invited him.

The Senate, meanwhile, has passed the SAGIP BATA Act on third and final reading on September 21. It penalizes recruiting or inducing children into serious violent activity and has requirements intended to make online platforms more reachable by Philippine authorities. The proposed law would require platforms to designate Philippine-based legal representatives who could receive subpoenas, takedown orders and requests for account information.

The government has also negotiated directly with Meta and Roblox. After meetings in Singapore, they agreed to stronger cooperation on child safety, faster responses to harmful content and lawful requests, while Meta agreed to create a technical working group.

But House Bill No. 4786 or the Social Media Platform Franchise Act raises eyebrows. Here’s why it should raise yours:

Congress as gatekeeper

Filed in September 2025 by Quezon Representative David “Jay-Jay” Suarez, HB 4786 would require covered social media platforms to obtain a congressional franchise before they could operate in the Philippines.

The proposal has regained attention after the South Cotabato shooting. Malacañang has now called it a “good proposal,” saying it could give the government greater jurisdiction and authority over social media platforms. The DICT has also welcomed it. 

Beneficially, it would require covered platforms to establish a registered Philippine entity or branch, appoint a local representative, and provide a grievance mechanism for Filipino users.

But it also gives substantial powers to the government that could be prone to abuse. 

It would give the DICT, in coordination with the National Telecommunications Commission, primary regulatory jurisdiction over platform obligations involving content moderation, national security, data protection, complaints and public-service standards.

It places “content moderation” under DICT’s regulatory jurisdiction.

The bill does not spell out in detail what standards would govern that oversight, nor does it clearly answer what happens when DICT and a platform disagree over lawful but controversial speech, or what safeguards would protect journalism, political criticism, satire, or unpopular viewpoints from regulatory pressure.

Suppose those questions would be settled in the implementing rules and regulations. Nevertheless, it would still echo concerns already raised over the House’s anti-disinformation bill, which has been criticized by rights advocates and opposition lawmakers who warned that concepts such as public harm and national security as they relate to online content could still be applied too broadly. 

With the bill, you’re giving power to a government body for regulating speech in social media. 

And the bill would require a legislative franchise, meaning platforms would need Congress to authorize its continued operation.

The Philippines has already seen how politically charged a franchise process can become: In 2020, a House committee rejected ABS-CBN’s bid for a fresh franchise, driven by the grievances of then-president Rodrigo Duterte, creating a massive chilling effect for the media — and our democracy was all the worse for it. 

Who wants to extend that system, or simply put, that power to the platforms where much of modern public discourse now takes place? Who really benefits? 

And what about new, alternative platforms?

HB 4786 would not apply only to today’s tech giants.

The bill defines a social media platform broadly as a service centered on user-generated content, communication and interaction. The eventual implementing rules would determine the user threshold at which a platform becomes covered.

That means a Filipino entrepreneur could build an alternative social network, grow it successfully, and eventually find that continued operation depends on obtaining a franchise from politicians, subject to the same whims. 

Requiring local representatives, establishing emergency-response procedures, punishing people who groom children toward violence, enforcing lawful court orders and creating clear duties for platforms are all regulatory approaches already being considered.

So just what exactly do we need a congressional franchise for? – Rappler.com