THE HOUSE of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading a bill that would ban children below 13 from social media and certain online gaming platforms while imposing safeguards for older minors.
House Bill No. 11566, or the proposed Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE Kids) Act, received 287 votes in favor, three against and no abstentions.
The measure will require covered digital platforms to adopt safety features designed to protect children and make protective settings the default for younger users.
Children below 13 will be barred from creating or maintaining accounts on social media and online gaming services with social or interactive features.
Users aged 13 to 17 will need parental consent and face restrictions on targeted advertising, recommendation algorithms, endless scrolling and behavioral profiling.
The bill also seeks to establish an Office for Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces under the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
The office will oversee compliance with the proposed law and develop systems to verify users’ ages. — Pexcel John Bacon