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

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has thrown his support behind proposals to restrict social media use for children aged 14 and below amid fears that the internet is being used by drug syndicates to recruit young people and even engage in drug trade through coded communication.

In a statement on Friday, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos said he backs the proposal that would ban children from accessing social media—which was also supported by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, as he stated during the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations budget briefing on the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Santos, chairperson of the House committee on dangerous drugs, did not present data or actual incidents, but he claimed that drug syndicates are now using social media to recruit children.

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“Our children are among the most vulnerable targets in the digital world. We cannot allow drug syndicates to use social media as a hunting ground to recruit, manipulate and expose young people to illegal drugs,” he said.

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“Technology has made it easier for criminals to reach potential victims. A young person can be targeted, manipulated and eventually introduced to illegal drugs without realizing that he or she is already being drawn into a criminal network,” he added.

During the appropriations committee hearing on Thursday, Remulla said he agrees with the proposed social media ban, backing suggestions to restrict it for users aged 14 and below.

“I am in total agreement with the ban,” Remulla told lawmakers. “I would prefer 14-years-old and below that they be banned or restricted hours of use.”

READ: DILG chief bats for restricted social media use for kids 14 and below

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Then on Wednesday, the Senate committee on public information and mass media endorsed a bill seeking to set 16 years old as the minimum age for social media use.

Both moves came amid fears that unrestricted social media use may have led students behind the school shooting incidents at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City last June 22 and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City last August 18 to do these actions.

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

There is a belief that the perpetrators in both incidents were supposedly exposed to violent content online.

READ: Senate panel endorses bill setting 16 as minimum age for social media

But Santos said that aside from violent content, the Philippines and other countries have faced problems regarding young children being recruited towards scrupulous activities, including drug trade.

Although social media platforms prohibit the sale and promotion of illegal drugs, Santos said young users could still encounter drug dealers through online accounts, private messages, and encrypted or otherwise less-visible digital channels.

Drug enforcement authorities, he added, have reported drug-related activities taking place across major online platforms, particularly messaging applications widely used in the Philippines.

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“The fight against illegal drugs should not be limited to the streets. We must also confront the new methods being used by drug syndicates in cyberspace,” Santos added. —WITH REPORTS FROM RENDELL IVAN MANUEL, TRAINEE