The Philippine Congress is poised to pass a law that sets out restrictions on the use of social networking platforms by minors. The houses of the legislature have each passed their version of the proposed statute and as of this writing, a bicameral conference committee has been organized to harmonize the two versions — House Bill No. 11566, or the Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE Kids) Act, and Senate Bill No. 2424, or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act.
Both bills seek to regulate children’s access to social media and other digital platforms, by imposing mandatory age verification measures, age-based access restrictions, and regulatory compliance requirements, with corresponding penalties for violations of the proposed child-safety obligations.
The proposed measures, if enacted, will apply to digital service providers, including social media platforms, online gaming services with social networking features, and foreign-based digital platforms accessible to users in the Philippines. Parents and legal guardians may also be held liable for knowingly and willfully facilitating the circumvention of age verification measures.Read the full bulletin here or download via this link.
This bulletin was prepared by Jamie Lindsey A. Cristobal, Associate and a member of the Firm’s Special Projects department.
For more information about the legal issuance discussed in this bulletin, please contact:
Rose Marie M. King-Dominguez
Senior Partner and Head of the Special Projects Department
rmmking@syciplaw.com
