Bill seeking to protect minors from online hazards hurdles 3rd reading

Local

A BILL that seeks to protect children from online dangers has been approved on third reading by the House of Representatives.

Cebu 3rd District Rep. Karen Hope Garcia said her bill is part of consolidated House Bill No. 11566, or the Children’s Digital Safety Protection and Well-Being Act, which seeks to strengthen the protection and well-being of children in the digital space.

“Sa panahon karon, bisan unsa na lang nga mga impormasyon, duwa, law-ay nga videos ug uban pa ang puwede matan-aw sa mga bata online, nga posibleng maka-influence sa ilang behavior,” Garcia said.

This is why, earlier this year, Garcia filed House Bill No. 9448, or the Child Online Protection and Safety Amendment Act, which is among the consolidated bills filed by 97 other congressmen with the same goal and purpose, forming the consolidated HB 11566.

The consolidated measure was presented for approval by the Committee on Women and Children and was approved on third reading on October 12, 2026.

The bill covers all digital platforms operating in the Philippines that are accessible, offered, or made available to users in the country, regardless of their place of incorporation, principal place of business, or the location of their servers.

Under the measure, social media platforms, gaming platforms, app stores, operating systems, and similar digital services must not allow children aged 13 and below to create or use accounts or access interactive features and functionalities, such as communication, content-sharing, livestreaming, and user interaction, among others.

Minors aged at least 13 but below 18 may access and use digital platforms, but with restrictions.

Other provisions of the bill include establishing an Office for a Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE Kids Office); requiring digital platforms to maintain a local office in the Philippines; designating a compliance officer who will handle complaints involving children; and maintaining human oversight to help prevent unsafe online interactions.

Once enacted, the proposed bill provides that digital platforms that violate the Act may be penalized with fines ranging from P100,000 for a first offense, at least P500,000 to P1 million for a second offense, and P1 million to P2 million for third and subsequent offenses involving procedural and compliance violations.

For child safety violations under the same measure, fines range from P2 million to P20 million.(MyTVCebu)