Returning senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson filed a bill seeking to regulate social media use by minors, citing studies pointing to excessive social media usage being linked to risk for mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and social isolation.
The bill titled “An Act Regulating the Use of Social Media Platforms by Minors, Imposing Age Restrictions, Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof, and for other Purposes” seeks to prohibit children below 18 years old from accessing and using various social media apps.
Sen. Ping used the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) study warning of children’s and adolescents’ vulnerability towards cyberbullying, body image pressure, and online harassment.
- 84% of Filipinos access the Internet, 16% higher than the global average — Meltwater
- How to verify PWD IDs online in the Philippines
Other reports also showed how the Internet is consuming most of the minors’ time, such as a report by the Council for the Welfare of Children saying one in three Filipino minors (0 to 18 years old) use the Internet.
Meanwhile, the National ICT Household Survey shows that 60 percent of children aged 10 to 17 are active Internet users.
Lacson also pointed out that other countries, such as Australia, have strict regulations on children’s access to social media and other platforms.
Under the bill, social media platforms are obligated to:
- Adopt reliable means to ensure the age and identity of its users, such as but not limited to ID verification, facial recognition, and other identity authentication systems
- Conduct regular audits of user account data to detect and remove age-restricted users from the platform.
- Adopt prompt response mechanisms for reports or findings of age-related users on the platform.
While the initial provisions may raise questions on data privacy, the personal information collected will still be subject to the provisions of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and other relevant laws.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be the primary implementing agency of the act.
Meanwhile, potential violators will be slapped with huge fines:
- Non-compliant social media platforms and service providers – Php1 to Php20 million for each act.
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may face administrative fines for failing to enforce government-ordered blocks – Php300,000 to Php3 million.
- Third-party age verification providers who violate data privacy laws – Php500,000 to Php5 million and permanently banned from operating in the Philippines.
Source: Senate of the Philippines