Senator Sherwin Gatchalian filed Senate Bill No. 2066, or the Social Media Safety for Children Act, which prohibits minors under 16 from registering, accessing, or maintaining accounts on social media platforms.
Gatchalian said the measure is intended to shield children from harmful digital exposure and unsafe online environments.
“Panahon na upang protektahan ang ating mga kabataan mula sa pinsalang dulot ng social media. Huwag na nating hintaying lumala ang problema bago tayo umaksyon,” he said.
The bill requires platform providers to enforce age and identity verification systems, conduct regular audits, and deactivate accounts found to belong to underage users. It also directs companies to establish reporting and response mechanisms for violations.
It further mandates safeguards to prevent circumvention of restrictions, including controls on duplicate or reactivated accounts, and introduces tools to support parental supervision.
Under the proposal, the Department of Information and Communications Technology will lead the drafting of implementing rules in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education, National Telecommunications Commission, and National Privacy Commission within 90 days after the law takes effect.
The measure follows similar policies in other countries, including Australia’s minimum age requirement for social media use and restrictions implemented in Indonesia.
It comes amid a broader push in the Senate, where other lawmakers have also filed bills seeking to regulate minors’ access to social media through age limits, parental consent requirements, and stronger protections against online harm.
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