The Senate approved on third and final reading on Thursday, October 8, a bill that would prohibit minors below 18 from creating accounts on, or accessing, digital platforms classified as high-risk.
Senate Bill No. 2424, or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act, passed with 16 affirmative votes, one negative vote and no abstentions. Sen. Robinhood Padilla sponsored the measure.
If enacted, the bill would apply to Filipino children and teenagers who use social media and online games, and to the companies that operate those services in the Philippines. Services such as Meta Platforms, Roblox and Gorebox could be affected. Coverage would depend on whether each service falls under the high-risk classification the measure establishes.
The bill would create a framework for identifying digital services that pose risks to children. It would require platform operators to put safeguards in place against harmful online content and activities.
Services classified as high-risk would have to prevent people under 18 from creating accounts or accessing their platforms. They would also have to adopt age-assurance mechanisms to verify that users meet the minimum age. Platforms would be required to suspend, restrict, disable or remove accounts that are reasonably determined to be owned, operated or used by minors.
The restrictions would not apply to all online services. The bill exempts email services, private messaging applications, online gaming services not primarily used for social networking, educational platforms, news services and professional collaboration tools.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would implement the law once enacted. The agency would also set up a publicly accessible reporting platform where individuals can report suspected violations. Complaints involving harmful content that requires immediate intervention would be referred or escalated to the concerned digital service providers for expedited action.
High-risk digital service providers found violating the law could face fines of ₱5 million to ₱20 million per violation, plus an additional ₱100,000 for each day of continued noncompliance. Parents and legal guardians who knowingly help minors bypass age-assurance mechanisms could be fined up to ₱50,000. They could instead be required to perform community service and attend mandatory digital parenting and child safety programs.
The bill also seeks to reduce distractions caused by mobile devices and electronic gadgets while protecting children from online risks. The Senate’s approval comes amid concerns over children’s exposure to harmful content, inappropriate interactions and other safety risks on social media and online gaming platforms.
The measure is not yet law. It must still complete the remaining legislative process before it can be implemented.
