Under-18s may lose access to high-risk social media under Senate bill

National

MINORS under 18 could be barred from accessing high-risk social media platforms under a bill approved by the Senate on Thursday, Oct. 8, with violators facing millions of pesos in fines.

The proposed Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act seeks to prevent minors from accessing high-risk digital services, including Roblox and GoreBox, which were cited as online spaces where vulnerable young users may be groomed into committing violent acts.

Under the measure, covered services would be required to suspend, restrict, disable or remove accounts owned, operated or used by individuals below 18 years old.

The proposed restrictions would not cover electronic mail and private messaging services, online gaming platforms not primarily intended for social networking, educational platforms, news services and professional collaboration services.

Digital services that violate the prohibition would face fines ranging from P5 million to P20 million per violation, plus an additional P100,000 daily penalty for continued non-compliance.

Parents or guardians who help minors circumvent the restrictions could also face a P50,000 fine, community service or mandatory participation in digital parenting and child safety programs.

The measure received 16 affirmative votes, with Senator Risa Hontiveros casting the lone dissenting vote. Supporters cited concerns over school shooting incidents, young people’s access to firearms and their exposure to nihilistic and violent extremist content online.

Hontiveros opposed a blanket ban, arguing that the age of 18 should be the “legal threshold for adulthood” rather than a “developmental threshold” for children’s access to social media. She said children’s ability to make appropriate decisions develops as they mature, and legislation should recognize their evolving capacities.

“As children mature, their capacity to make appropriate decisions also develops. An outright ban does not recognize the developmental and evolving capacities of children. Our legislation should reflect this reality,” Hontiveros said in a Philstar report, pointing to gaps in blanket social media bans in other countries.

Instead of an outright prohibition, she advocated graduated restrictions for adolescents, including stronger default privacy and data settings, tighter controls on adult contact, limits on targeted advertising and profiling, and enhanced parental and educational safeguards.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian supported the proposed restrictions, citing the dangers associated with excessive use of social media and other online platforms. He maintained that the prohibition would be absolute, with parental or guardian consent unable to override the restriction.(MyTVCebu)