Philippine House Passes Bill Barring Children Under 13 From Social Media Accounts

The Philippine House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill that would bar children under 13 from creating or maintaining social media accounts. The Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces Act, or SAFE KIDS Act, passed with 287 votes in favor and three against.

Under the House version, children below 13 would be prohibited from registering or using social media accounts. Those aged 13 to 17 would face restrictions on features that pose foreseeable risks, including certain communication tools, gambling-like mechanisms, and functions that encourage excessive use. Platforms would be required to implement safeguards for teenage users.

The Senate has already passed a stricter bill, the SMART KIDS Act, that would ban anyone under 18 from creating or maintaining accounts on high-risk digital services. That measure passed with 16 votes in favor and one against. The two chambers must now reconcile the differing age thresholds and enforcement provisions before a final text can be sent to the president.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he is studying the proposals. He has cautioned that a blanket ban could push children to hide their online activity, potentially increasing vulnerability to grooming and abuse. Senator Risa Hontiveros, the sole dissenting vote in the Senate, argued that teenagers need both protection and practical access, noting that some use social media for work or education.

The legislation follows three school shootings in the Philippines since June that renewed debate over minors’ access to online content and platforms. Lawmakers have cited risks of cyberbullying, online fraud, exposure to harmful material, and grooming. Filipinos spend an average of nearly 34 hours per week on social media, among the higher figures globally.

Similar age-restriction measures have been adopted or proposed in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and several European countries. Enforcement will depend on age-verification systems that platforms must implement and on the willingness of international companies to comply with Philippine rules. Penalties in the Senate version range from millions of pesos for platforms that fail to block underage accounts.

The House and Senate bills differ on the minimum age and on the scope of restricted services. Reconciling those differences will determine whether the final law sets a hard ban at 13, at 16, or at 18, and what exceptions apply for educational or messaging tools. The outcome will set the rules for how Filipino children and teenagers use the major social platforms in the coming years.