Social media ban for teens below 16 OKd in second reading in Senate

A bill seeking to restrict social media access for children below 16 years old hurdled second reading in the Senate. By establishing a minimum age, lawmakers believe that the measure will protect the youth from harmful online content amid the unprecedented spate of fatal school shootings.

Senate Bill 2424, or the proposed “Child Online Safety and Protection Act”, aims to ban teens under 16 from registering, accessing, using, maintaining, or creating an account on any age-restricted social media platform.

Social media platform refers to any internet-based application, website, or computer program that enables content sharing and online social interaction among users.

If passed into law, the bill will make the Philippines the latest country to prohibit children under 16 from having access to social media, joining countries like Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, among others.

The measure aims to establish a third-party provider to screen out underage users. Any account reasonably determined to be owned, operated, or used by any individual who is subject to the age restriction will be automatically suspended, restricted, disabled, or removed by the platform.

“Children who are 16 years old but below 18 years old may access and use age-restricted social media platforms subject to age assurance requirements and child safety measures established under this Act,” reads the bill, sponsored by Senator Robin Padilla.

Similar bills were also filed in the House of Representatives earlier this year, but remain pending at the committee level.

A series of school shootings being blamed on social media overexposure by teens has prompted lawmakers to introduce a minimum age requirement for social media use.

Previous Senate probes had revealed that “groomers” exploit certain online gaming platforms to brainwash teens to become radical and aggressive.

The offenders purportedly use the platform’s chat features to interact with children and build their trust. The communication will continue through private messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, Viber, and WhatsApp.

The first school shooting recorded in San Jose National High School in Tacloban on 22 June, killing three students and injuring dozens, was followed by another fatal gunfire incident in Ateneo de Zamboanga University on 18 August. Two minors were killed, including the shooter.

The recent gun violence was reported at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on 18 September, where two 14-year-old students were killed. The perpetrators of school gun attacks are also minors and enrolled in the said schools.

The Senate bill aims to limit children’s exposure to social media, minimize and, in particular, safeguard them from online harms, in support of holistic development and a safe learning environment.

If enacted, parents and legal guardians would also be required to ensure compliance with the prohibition by supervising kids’ access to social media. They may be fined P5,000 to P50,000 if it is found that they helped children deliberately bypass age-restriction checks.

Any social media platform, third-party age assurance provider, or the Department of Information and Communications Technology found in violation could be slapped with a fine of P1 million to P20 million for each offense.