THE American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) on Monday commended the Senate for advancing the proposed Children’s Safety in Media Act, a bill to enhance safeguards for minors online.
“From the private sector’s perspective, we respectfully underscore the importance of a balanced and proportionate regulatory framework, which effectively protects children while also preserving access to information, encouraging digital innovation, respecting data privacy, and ensuring practical and enforceable compliance standards,“ the group said in a statement.
However, it also pointed out that overly restrictive or technically impractical measures may unintentionally limit educational opportunities, hinder digital inclusion, and affect investor confidence in the country’s digital economy.
Online safety for children will be achieved through a collaborative approach, the group said. “We believe that child online safety is best achieved through a whole-of-society approach, combining clear platform accountability, strong parental empowerment, digital literacy and education, and sustained public-private collaboration.“
On Feb. 11, the Senate held a committee hearing on five related bills looking to regulate or ban children’s access to social media.
Four of the five bills propose a ban, with varying minimum ages of limitation.
Senate Bill 40, filed by Sen. Ping Lacson, is the most restrictive, proposing an online ban for youth up to 18 years old, followed by SB 1735 from Sen. Imee Marcos (16 years old), and SB 595 from Sen. Erwin Tulfo (13), and SB 185 from Sen. Camille Villar (12).
AmCham said it is ready to work with the Senate and other stakeholders to help craft a policy framework that protects children, upholds fundamental rights, and supports a safe, innovative, and competitive digital ecosystem for the Philippines.
“While we push for a stronger economy and attract foreign investments to the country, we also stand with the government in building a better and healthier environment,“ it said.
Founded in 1902, AmCham is a private, nonprofit organization representing US and Philippine business interests. It acts as a voice for trade, investment, and policy advocacy, supporting over 800 member companies through networking, business intelligence, and events.
