Philippine’s lower house approves bill restricting minors’ social media access
The Philippines is the latest country to try to curb social media use by children, as concern grows over its effects on their health and safety.
The Philippine House of Representatives has voted in favor of a bill that would restrict social media access for children under 13. This comes as concern grows over the effects of social media on child health and safety, and follows a series of school shootings in the country. The Senate is expected to approve a similar bill, after which the two chambers will need to reconcile their versions before submitting a final draft for presidential approval.
The bill's passage follows recent school shootings in the Philippines, reigniting debate over children's access to social media and online content. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concerns that a blanket ban on social media could make it difficult for children to protect their online activities from potential abuse. Major social media platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, have not yet commented on the passing of the bill in the Philippine House of Representatives.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
