Tunis:Scam Watch Pilipinas has advocated for enhanced platform safeguards instead of supporting a Senate-approved ban on social media access for minors.

According to Philippines News Agency, Scam Watch Pilipinas cofounder and lead convenor Jocel de Guzman emphasized that children are vulnerable to scams, grooming, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, harmful content, and dangerous algorithms, urging the government to take action. He pointed out that simply banning minors from social media transfers the burden to users and highlighted the ineffectiveness of current age restrictions on platforms like Facebook.

De Guzman argued for improved age-assurance systems, better parental controls, faster removal of harmful content, stronger measures against predatory accounts, and clearer reporting channels for authorities. He stressed the importance of privacy in age verification processes to avoid requiring children to provide excessive personal information.

He also emphasized the roles of parents, schools, government, and platforms in promoting online safety, digital literacy, and scam awareness from an early age. According to De Guzman, raising children who can recognize and protect themselves from online dangers is crucial, and a ban alone cannot achieve this.

On Thursday, the Senate passed Senate Bill No. 2424, known as the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act, with a vote of 16-1-0. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, prohibits minors under 18 from accessing social media but exempts email, private messaging, educational platforms, news sites, professional tools, and online games not primarily designed for social networking. Sen. Risa Hontiveros cast the lone dissenting vote.