House panel approves social media ban for kids

MANILA, Philippines — A House of Representatives panel has proposed a full social media ban for children below 13 and restrictions on the said technology’s use for those aged 13 to 18, as a means to shield young people from harmful content online.

During a hearing of the House committee on the welfare of children, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo presented the still unnumbered substitute bill to 10 proposals seeking to protect minors from the dangers of unabated social media use.

According to Romulo, the full ban for children below 13 is meant to restrict them from having any screen time.

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“Basically the bill now will be a ban on all social media platforms for those under 13. What we want is for them not to have any screen time,” said Romulo, chair of the House committee on basic education and culture and head of the technical working group that crafted the substitute bill.

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READ: Five things to know about the social media ban for children under 13

Meanwhile, the proposed restrictions for those aged 13 to 18 will cover viewing short videos, using messaging applications, and accessing harmful content.

“For those 13 to below 18 years of age, we will have a ban on features such as harmful content, which is defined in the law [as] topics revolving around violence, sex, and similar topics,” Romulo said.

READ: Socmed ban for 14 and below backed amid fears of online drug trade

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“Scrolling shorts will be banned, and also chat groups. So if you’re 13 [and above but] below 18, you cannot join chat groups. That is where we are headed,” he added.

Local office requirement

Romulo admitted that the House’s version of the bill is different from what the Senate has passed. Senate Bill No. 2424 or the proposed Child Online Safety and Protection Act proposed that 16 be considered the minimum age for social media use. The latter bill was brought to the plenary on Aug. 26 following approval by the Senate committee on public information and mass media.

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However, Romulo believes such differences can be sorted out in a bicameral conference committee hearing, should both bills be approved by the respective chambers of Congress.

Romulo said the substitute bill also requires social media companies to “register a Philippine presence” if they want to operate in the country, so that they can be held accountable under Philippine laws.

“If you are to be accessed by any individual or corporation in the Philippines, you must be registered in the Philippines. If we don’t have jurisdiction over that entity, our authority over the platforms is very hollow,” he said.

Romulo said the technical working group purposely left out provisions related to parental consent and limiting screen time for adolescents, as they are matters the House should decide upon during the plenary deliberations, specifically during the period of amendments.

“All members should be heard, as this is an important piece of legislation,” said Romulo.

Violent online content

Calls for a social media ban for children have emerged amid fears that unrestricted online access influenced the students who were behind the shooting incidents at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22 and Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City on Aug. 18.

Three students were killed during the Tacloban shooting, while two, including the gunman, were confirmed dead after the incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

The perpetrators in both incidents were supposedly exposed to violent content online, or joined groups engaged in nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) behavior or senseless violence. NVE is being looked at as an angle in the two school shooting incidents.

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On Aug. 28, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Philippine authorities have been able to secure a commitment from Meta, which owns and manages the social media sites Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, along with other messaging apps, to provide authorities important information should they spot a possible threat to children. /cb