Lawmakers are looking at new measures that would limit how young people use social media, with one proposal setting age restrictions and requiring parent approval for teen accounts.
Some lawmakers want to ban social media entirely for kids under 13. Others are pushing for stricter rules for everyone below 18.
One of the key proposals comes from Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and majority leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos. Their bill, House Bill No. 9965, takes a middle-ground approach.
Under this plan, children under 13 cannot open social media accounts. Teenagers between 13 and 17 would be allowed to sign up, but only if their parents give clear permission and continue to supervise their online activity.
The bill also focuses on education. It asks the Department of Information and Communications Technology to work with the Department of Education. Together, they would add a new subject to the school curriculum. This subject would teach students about digital literacy and responsible social media use.
Speaker Dy said teaching kids how to use the internet safely is just as important as teaching them to read and write.
The new lessons would cover several areas. Students would learn how to check if online information is reliable. They would also study how social media algorithms shape what they see. Other topics include cyberbullying, online predators, harmful content, and managing screen time.
The bill also pushes social media platforms to take more responsibility. It calls for stronger safeguards and more tools for parents to monitor their children’s online activities.