House OKs social media ban for under-13s, teen safeguards

House OKs social media ban for under-13s, teen safeguards on NewsLine Philippines - Building Information Highway for the Community

MANILA (October 15) — Children below 13 could be barred from creating or using social media accounts, while teenagers would face tighter restrictions on potentially harmful online features under a bill approved by the House of Representatives, raising questions about how the proposed safeguards will protect children without cutting them off from support, information and participation online.

The House passed House Bill 11566, or the proposed Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE KIDS) Act, on third and final reading on Monday, Oct. 12, with 287 votes in favor, three against and none abstaining.

The measure would prohibit children below 13 from creating, registering, maintaining or using social media accounts. Users aged 13 to below 18 would be allowed restricted access, with digital platforms required to block certain harmful features, including unsafe communications and functions that encourage excessive or compulsive use.

The bill seeks to address risks children face online, including cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation and exposure to harmful content. It would also establish a SAFE KIDS Office under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to oversee implementation and impose penalties on platforms that fail to comply.

Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, a co-sponsor of the measure and chair of its technical working group, said the proposal recognizes that children are already part of the digital world and need stronger protection.

“The concern, therefore, is not whether children should have a place in the digital world. They already do,” Romulo said in a statement released Tuesday.

“The question before us is whether the digital environment in which they grow up provides adequate safeguards for their safety, development, and well-being,” he added.

Romulo said the measure would clarify digital platforms’ responsibilities and put children’s rights and welfare at the center of online safety policies.

“The policy question is therefore not simply one of access versus prohibition. It is a question of how access should be structured, what safeguards must accompany it, and who should be accountable when those safeguards are absent,” he said.

Child protection requires more than age restrictions

For children and teenagers, the challenge extends beyond deciding who may open a social media account. Effective protection also depends on whether platforms prevent abuse, respond promptly to reports, preserve evidence of exploitation and cooperate with authorities investigating online offenses.

Age restrictions alone cannot address the full range of online threats. Children may still encounter harmful content through shared accounts, messaging services, gaming platforms or other digital channels. Implementation must therefore include practical safeguards, accessible reporting mechanisms and child-sensitive responses to abuse.

The proposed restrictions also raise questions about how platforms will verify users’ ages without collecting excessive personal information, how children’s privacy will be protected, and how the government will prevent enforcement measures from unfairly limiting legitimate access to education, peer support and child-protection services.

The DICT and other relevant agencies would need clear implementation rules, adequate resources and coordination with schools, parents, child-protection workers and law enforcement. Platforms, meanwhile, must be held accountable for complying with safeguards rather than relying solely on children and families to manage online risks.

Senate version differs on age limits

The House measure must still be reconciled with the Senate’s version, Senate Bill 2424, or the proposed Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act.

The two chambers’ proposals differ significantly in their approach to age restrictions. HB 11566 adopts a tiered system, prohibiting social media accounts for children below 13 while allowing restricted access to older teenagers. The Senate version, as described in the source measure, proposes a stricter restriction covering users below 18.

A bicameral conference committee must reconcile the differences before a final version can be ratified by both chambers and transmitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for consideration.

The final measure will determine not only the age limits but also the responsibilities of platforms, the government’s enforcement powers and the safeguards available to children whose online experiences involve abuse, exploitation or threats.

The decisive test will be whether the law makes digital platforms safer and more accountable without placing the burden of protection entirely on children and their families. Lawmakers must ensure that age restrictions are matched by enforceable platform safeguards, accessible remedies for victims and adequate support for children who experience online abuse.

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