Senate passes social media ban for children below 16 on final reading

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Senators on Thursday approved on third and final reading a measure that would ban social media use among children under 16 in the Philippines.

Senate Bill No. 2424 was supported by 16 senators present during the plenary session, with only Senator Risa Hontiveros voting against the measure.

In contrast, the House of Representatives is proposing a lower minimum age for social media access. On Tuesday, congressmen approved House Bill No. 11566, which seeks to bar children below 13 years old from creating or maintaining social media accounts, on second reading.

Under the Senate bill, children below 16 years old would be prohibited from registering for, accessing, operating, maintaining, or creating accounts on age-restricted social media platforms.

Platforms would be required to suspend, restrict, disable, or remove any account reasonably determined to be owned, operated, or used by a child under 16.

Social media platforms would be required to implement reasonable, proportionate, and effective age-verification measures to prevent children below 16 from creating, accessing, maintaining, or using accounts on age-restricted platforms.

Children aged 16 to below 18, meanwhile, may use age-restricted social media platforms provided they comply with age-assurance requirements and applicable child-safety measures.

Children below 16 may be allowed to access age-restricted platforms if they are specifically required for legitimate educational purposes and certified by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), as applicable.

Their access, however, would be limited to educational functions and subject to child protection, privacy, and safety safeguards.

Social media platforms and third-party age-assurance providers could face fines of P1 million to P20 million for each violation.

Repeated, willful, or gross violations could result in the suspension, restriction, or revocation of their operations, permits, or access in the Philippines, subject to due process.

Meanwhile, parents or legal guardians who knowingly and willfully help children below 16 circumvent age-assurance measures, create or obtain accounts for them, or repeatedly violate their obligations through gross negligence could face fines ranging from P5,000 to P50,000 and/or mandatory digital parenting and child online safety programs.

However, parents or guardians would not be penalized for merely failing to supervise their children unless there is proof of willful intent or gross negligence.

Several countries, including Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, have introduced age-based restrictions on social media amid concerns over the impact of these platforms on children’s mental health and safety. — VBL, GMA News