Manila: Pangasinan 3rd District Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas is seeking to prohibit independent access to social media for children 12 years old and below to protect them from risks.
According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative is through Bill 9971 filed at the House of Representatives, entitled "An Act Protecting Filipino Children Below Thirteen Years of Age from the Risks of Social Media by Prohibiting their Independent Access to Social Media Platforms, Establishing a Tiered Safety-By-Design Framework for Adolescents, Imposing Obligations on Social Media Platform Operators, and Appropriating Funds." Arenas, who is also a House Deputy Speaker, filed the bill on June 30.
The proposed legislation acknowledges the opportunities offered by technology but emphasizes the potential negative impacts of excessive and unregulated social media use on children's learning, attention span, reading habits, mental health, and overall development. Among the bill's provisions is a prohibition on children 12 years old or younger from having their own social media accounts.
Additionally, the bill mandates that social media platforms implement strict privacy and safety settings for adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. Adolescents may hold personal social media accounts subject to default privacy and safety settings, including the restriction of unsolicited contact from adults or strangers. These protections remain in place for adolescents aged 16 to 17 years unless knowingly and voluntarily relaxed.
Arenas highlighted that the bill aims to limit the interaction of minors with strangers to protect them from online exploitation or cyber threats. It also seeks to curb addictive features, such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and late-night notifications, which might affect the focus, sleeping patterns, and studies of young people.
The bill clarifies that it is not anti-technology but rather pro-child, pro-education, and pro-family, emphasizing that its goal is to ensure technology serves as a tool for learning and growth. It does not hold a child criminally, civilly, or administratively liable for violating the minimum age requirement, nor does it hold the parent or guardian liable for such a violation by a child under their care.
However, a parent or guardian who knowingly and repeatedly facilitates a violation may be required to attend a digital-parenting program administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Social media platform operators who violate provisions after notice and hearing could face fines ranging from PHP1 million to PHP50 million per violation, depending on gravity, recurrence, and economic capacity.
