Student leaders protest proposed youth socmed ban

Student representatives from universities and secondary schools gathered Wednesday to oppose proposed legislation that would ban individuals aged 18 and below from accessing social media platforms.

Led by the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), student leaders convened the “Ban Predators, Ban Groomers, Not Learners” press conference to urge lawmakers, government agencies, and technology companies to adopt rights-based, youth-inclusive online safety policies instead of total bans.

“We recognize that young people face risks online, but the answer is not to take away their access to digital spaces that also support their learning and development,” SCAP Undersecretary General Edrianna Villaruz said.

The protest comes after the Senate passed on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2424, or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces Act, by a 16-1 vote. The bill prohibits Filipinos under 18 from creating or accessing social media accounts.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 10858, or the Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces Act. The House version bans social media accounts for children aged 13 and below while placing access restrictions on users under 18.

Villaruz cited that while youth groups support restricting accounts for children 13 and under, they strongly oppose blanket bans covering older teenagers aged 14 to 18.

“We recognize the dangers that young people face online, such as cyberbullying, grooming, online sexual exploitation, scams, and misinformation,” Villaruz said. “But we ask, why is it that the youth are not allowed to enter digital spaces instead of holding accountable the people who abuse them?”

Instead of a complete prohibition, SCAP outlined a five-point counter-proposal focused on protecting minors without penalizing responsible users, preserving digital learning platforms, strengthening law enforcement against online predators, holding tech platforms accountable for privacy and moderation, and investing in digital literacy.

School representatives emphasized that social media serves as a primary tool for school communications, extracurricular organizing, scholarship notifications and civic discussion.

Eko Xander Quizon, a Supreme Secondary Learner Government officer from Pasig City, noted that high school student councils rely heavily on platforms like Facebook to broadcast schedule changes, emergency notices, and advocacy campaigns.