Internet Safety and Protection of Minors Act

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JUL 15 A9:37 First Regular Session RECEN: SENATE Senate Bill No. _ Introduced by Senator Erwin T. Tulfo AN ACT ESTABLISHING SAFEGUARDS FOR THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY MINORS, PROMOTING A SAFE AND AGE- APPROPRIATE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT, AND PROTECTING MINORS FROM DIGITAL ADDICTION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Social media is deeply woven into Filipino youth culture, with around 90 million social media users in the country and daily screen time averaging eight to ten hours, making the Philippines one of the global leaders in digital consumption.' Alarmingly, children as young as two months already average two hours of screen exposure daily? A study also showed that over 34 hours per week are spent on digital screens purely for entertainment, exceeding the global average by over two hours.3 ' Magadia, Carl, "Should Filipino minors be kept off social media?", May 22, 2025, retrieved from: https://tribune.net.ph/2025/05/21/should-filipino-minors-be-kept-off-social- media#:~:text=A%20nation%20glued%20to%20the,empowerment%20as%20well%20as%20distress., retrieved on July 14, 2025. 2 Capulong, A. D. G. & Clemente, J. A. R. (2025). Digital media practices among infants and toddlers based on Filipino mothers' self-reports. Plaridel, 22(1), 1-43. https://doi.org/10.52518/2023-03cplcmt 3 Carandang, Carla Mia,"Children and Screen Time: Is my child having too much?", November 22, 2021, retrieved from:https://medgate.ph/2021/11/22/children-and-screen-time-is-my-child-having-too- much/#:~:text=A%20recent%20study%20showed%20that%20the%20average,two%20hours%20higher%20than %20the%20global%20average., retrieved on July 14, 2025.

Prolonged screen use among Filipino children correlates with lower language development, psychosocial disruption, and decreased attention span, signaling early warning signs of mental and physical health issues. Minors using screens over nine hours daily risk mood disorders, impaired sleep, reduced physical activity, and higher obesity rates. These troubling trends reveal a clear policy gap. Although digital platforms offer educational and social value, the State lacks effective safeguards to protect minors from online harms and digital addiction. This bill seeks to address that gap by mandating age-appropriate access with parental oversight, establishing Anti-Digital addiction programs, imposing clear responsibilities on social media platforms and third-party age verification providers. Hence, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly sought. ERWIN T. TULFO * Dy, A.B.C., Dy, A.B.C. & Santos, S.K. Measuring effects of screen time on the development of children in the Philippines: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 23, 1261 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023- 16188-4

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 JUL 15 A9:37 RECEN: SENATE Senate Bill No._ Introduced by Senator Erwin T. Tulfo AN ACT ESTABLISHING SAFEGUARDS FOR THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY MINORS, PROMOTING A SAFE AND AGE- APPROPRIATE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT, AND PROTECTING MINORS FROM DIGITAL ADDICTION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the

"Internet Safety and Protection of Minors Act."

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to

5 promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the youth by safeguarding them from online risks and harmful content and the adverse effects of digital addiction, while ensuring their right to information and communication is respected through the provision of a safe and age-appropriate online environment, in line with the best interests of the child as recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children and Philippine laws.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. -

a. Minors refers to person below eighteen (18) years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or

protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition; b. Social media platform refers to any internet-based service, network, application, website, or computer program that is intended to provide an electronic service that satisfies the following conditions: i. Its sole or primary purpose is to enable online social interaction between two or more end-users; ii. It allows end-users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end-users; and 111. It allows end-users to upload or post online content or materials on it. c. Social media platform providers refer to entities that own and operate social media platforms. d. Third-party age verification providers refer to entities that provide age verification systems in social media platforms.

SEC. 4. Use of Social Media Platform and Age Restrictions. -

Minors aged thirteen (13) to seventeen (17) may be granted limited access to social media platforms, subject to the following conditions: a. Verified parental or, in the absence of the parents, guardian consent must be secured prior to account activation. b. Social media platforms shall provide age-appropriate versions of their services with enhanced privacy, limited interaction capabilities, and curated content. Minors below thirteen (13) years old shall be prohibited from registering and using social media accounts, unless for supervised educational purposes as authorized by the Department of Education (DepEd).

SEC. 5. Duties of Social Media Platform Providers. - Social

media platform providers shall provide reliable age verification measures in their platforms to prevent minors from registering, accessing, or continuing to use their social media service. They shall: a. Adopt reliable means to ensure the age and identity of its users, such as but not limited to ID verification, facial recognition, and other identity authentication systems; b. Provide content filtering tools and/or parental control features to users, and ensure these are accessible, functional, and clearly explained to them; c. Conduct regular audits of user account data to detect and remove age restricted users from the platform; and d. Adopt prompt response mechanisms for reports or findings of minors on the platform.

SEC. 6. Data Privacy. - Any personal information collected by

social media platforms or third-party age verification providers for the purpose of implementing age verification measures and complying with age restriction requirements shall be subject to the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and all other applicable data protection laws, rules and regulations. Violation of this provision shall subject the social media platform providers or third-party age verification providers to penalties under the Data Privacy Act and any other administrative, civil, or criminal penalties as may be prescribed by law.

SEC. 7. Anti-Digital Addiction Program. - The Department of

Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), National Youth Commission (NYC), and other relevant agencies shall launch awareness campaigns and school-based programs to educate the youth and their parents about the signs, risks, and remedies of digital overuse and its links to mental and physical health 37 issues as well as the proper and regulated use of social media.

SEC. 8. Role of the Department of Information and

2 Communications Technology. - The Department of Information and 3 Communications Technology (DICT) shall serve as the primary implementing agency of this Act. In line with this mandate, the DICT shall have the following powers and functions: a. Monitor compliance of social media platforms and third-party age verification service providers with age restrictions, identity verification protocols, and other requirements under this Act; b. Establish reporting mechanisms for violations of this Act; c. Conduct investigations, motu proprio or upon complaint, on alleged violations of this Act; d. Issue Disabling Orders directing the takedown, removal, or deactivation of accounts found in violation of age restrictions; e. Impose penalties in accordance with Section 9 of this Act; and f. Coordinate with relevant government agencies, including the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), National Privacy Commission (NPC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and DepEd, to ensure consistent, child-sensitive, and effective enforcement of this Act.

SEC. 9. Disabling of Unauthorized Minor Accounts. - Social

media platform providers shall automatically detect, remove, or deactivate accounts owned or used by minors in violation of this Act. Upon receiving verified information or a complaint from the public or a government agency, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) may issue a Disabling Order, requiring the platform to disable the identified account within seventy- two (72) hours. Within three (3) days after the issuance of the Disabling Order, the DICT shall inform the NTC, which shall monitor the social media 35 platform provider's compliance.

SEC. 10. Penalties. - Any social media platform provider, or

third-party age verification provider that fails to comply with any provision of this Act, including but not limited to the failure to implement adequate age verification systems, refusal to comply with a Disabling Order, or unauthorized retention or misuse of personal data 6 collected under this Act, shall be subject to the following administrative 7 penalties, without prejudice to any civil or criminal liability under existing laws: a. For Social Media Platform Providers: i. A fine of not less than One Million Pesos (Php 1,000,000) but not exceeding Twenty Million Pesos (Php 20,000,000) for each act of non-compliance, depending on the gravity and frequency of the violation; ii. A fine of not more than One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 100,000) for each day of continuing violation after due notice; iii. Suspension or revocation of access, operations, or licenses within the Philippines upon a finding of gross negligence, repeated non-compliance, or willful violation, subject to due process. b. For Third-Party Age Verification Providers: i. A fine of not less than Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 500,000.00) but not more than Five Million Pesos (Php 5,000,000) for breach of data privacy provisions or failure to meet verification standards sset under this Act; ii. Permanent disqualification from providing related services to social media platforms operating in the Philippines upon a finding of gross negligence, repeated non-compliance, or willful misconduct, subject to due process. The imposition of the above penalties shall be without prejudice to prosecution under the Data Privacy Act of 2012, the Republic Act

1 No. 10175 otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, 2 or any other applicable penal law.

SEC. 11. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety

5 (90) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DICT, in consultation with the NTC, NPC, DSWD, and DepEd and other relevant 7 stakeholders shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for 8 the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - Should any provision or part of

this Act be declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions 12 and parts hereof, insofar as they are separable from the invalid ones, shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 13. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders,

proclamations, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 14. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen

(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,