CITIZENS’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva filed a bill aiming to ban minors aged 16 and below from creating social media accounts.
House Bill 8262 was filed on March 3.
“Protecting minors from unfiltered and harmful social media exposure is a moral and national responsibility,” Villanueva said. He added that the unchecked impact of social media on the youth “poses long-term risks not only to individual well-being but also to social cohesion and civic life.”
Under the bill, no one aged 16 and below “shall be permitted to create, maintain, or access an account on a social media platform. This prohibition shall apply regardless of whether access is obtained directly, indirectly, or through third-party tools.” The measure mandates that parents and guardians shall exercise reasonable supervision and parental authority to ensure that those aged 16 and below “under their care do not access or use social media platforms in violation of this Act.”
In cases of gross negligence and repeated violations, parents and guardians will be required to attend digital safety, responsible technology use, or parenting support programs to be crafted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology in coordination with the proper agencies.
Under the bill, it “shall be unlawful for any social media platform operator to allow those aged 16 and below to create and maintain active accounts.”
