HOUSE Bill 8262 is trying to solve a problem that a lot of parents already worry about: cyberbullying, explicit content, compulsive algorithms and online predators are real concerns. Nobody can honestly say those risks do not exist. So it makes sense that lawmakers want to step in.
The proposed “Social Media Protection for Minors Act” would ban children aged 16 and below from creating or using social media accounts. Platforms would have to verify ages, remove suspected minor accounts and submit compliance reports to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The idea sounds straightforward enough: Keep kids away from harmful online spaces.
However, things online are rarely that simple.
One problem is that the bill defines social media very broadly. Today, social features exist almost everywhere online, not just on the apps people usually complain about. Students use group chats and online communities for schoolwork. Young people join hobby groups, gaming communities and discussion forums. A law written too broadly could end up affecting normal digital spaces that are not really part of the problem in the first place.
There is also the privacy issue. The bill says age verification should follow privacy laws, but stronger enforcement usually means stronger identity checks. That also means more personal information is being collected and stored. And once systems like that become normal, people will naturally start asking how that data could be used later on.
Then there is the simple reality that kids adapt quickly online. If they are blocked from one platform, many will just move to another one, borrow accounts or use apps adults barely know exist. Restricting access does not automatically remove the risks.
The bigger issue is that the bill treats several different online harms as though one restriction can solve all of them. Addiction, cyberbullying, exploitation and predatory behavior are connected, but they are still different problems that need different solutions.
A more practical approach would focus on making platforms safer instead of relying mostly on a blanket ban. Lawmakers could limit habit-forming features like autoplay and endless scrolling, require safer default settings for minors and impose stricter safeguards against suspicious adult-to-minor interactions online. Platforms that repeatedly fail to protect children should also face real consequences.
Children deserve protection online. But if lawmakers want policies that actually work, the answer has to be more thoughtful than simply banning access and hoping for the best.
The author is the founder and CEO of Traxion Tech