Philippines Drafts Ban on Social Media for Children

The House of Representatives of the Philippines is drafting legislation to impose a total ban on social media and online gaming platforms for children aged 13 and below. For teenagers aged 14 to 17, the proposed measure would instead regulate and ban specific platform features.

Representative Roman Romulo, chair of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, stated that all platforms operating within the Philippines must establish a local presence. Those that fail to do so risk being blocked by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

As part of the broader regulatory effort, Congress intends to establish a classification board to monitor online games accessible to young players.