Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines on Tuesday said they are firmly opposed to a blanket social media ban for children under the age of 16.
In a statement, the organization said children, just like adults, have rights in the digital sphere, and the government “must put the best interests of the child at the heart of every decision affecting those rights.”
“The digital environment is no longer separate from our everyday human experience. It is an extension of our offline world, where adults learn, search for information, and communicate with their peers – a space to express ourselves and take part in what’s happening around us. Children, just like adults, have rights in these spaces, too,” the group said.
“Protecting children online, therefore, cannot simply mean keeping them away from the internet. It must also mean empowering them to safely thrive in it,” it added.
The child right’s group said that General Comment No. 25 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child says that “State Parties, such as the Philippines, have a responsibility to shape digital environments that are not only safe, but are also accessible, inclusive and enabling for children.”
“We understand that legislators seeking a social media ban mean well. But banning children from social media does not protect them from unsafe environments. Making the environment safer is what protects them,” the CRN said.
