MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill that would prohibit children below 13 years old from creating or using social media accounts and restrict access for teenagers to online features that expose them to harm or encourage excessive use.
Under House Bill 11566, or the proposed Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE KIDS) Act, children below 13 would be prohibited from creating, registering, maintaining or using social media accounts, while those aged 13 to below 18 would be allowed restricted access to digital platforms.
The House approved the measure on Monday, with 287 votes in favor, three against and no abstentions
The bill seeks to address risks associated with children's use of social media and online gaming platforms, including cyberbullying, online grooming, sexual exploitation and exposure to harmful content.
Under the proposed restrictions, digital platforms will be required to prohibit certain harmful features for teenage users, including unsafe communications and functions that may encourage excessive or compulsive use.
The measure also provides for the creation of a SAFE KIDS Office under the Department of Information and Communications Technology, which would be primarily responsible for implementation, as well as penalties for digital platforms that fail to comply with the proposed safeguards.
Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, who co-sponsored the measure and chaired its technical working group, said the bill seeks to ensure that children's participation in the digital world is accompanied by safeguards for their welfare.
“The concern, therefore, is not whether children should have a place in the digital world. They already do,” Romulo said in a statement released Tuesday.
“The question before us is whether the digital environment in which they grow up provides adequate safeguards for their safety, development, and well-being,” he added.
Romulo said the measure sought to clarify the responsibilities of digital platforms in protecting young users as technology and online risks continue to evolve.
