The Senate approved on third and final reading on Thursday, Oct. 8, a bill seeking to prohibit minors below 18 years old from accessing high-risk digital platforms, potentially affecting services such as Meta Platforms, Roblox, and Gorebox.
Senate Bill No. 2424, or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act, was approved with 16 affirmative votes, one negative vote, and no abstentions.
Sponsored by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, the measure seeks to establish a regulatory framework for identifying digital services that pose risks to children and requiring platform operators to implement safeguards against harmful online content and activities.
Under the proposed legislation, digital services classified as high-risk would be required to prevent individuals below 18 years old from creating accounts or accessing their platforms.
These companies would also be required to adopt age-assurance mechanisms to verify whether users meet the minimum age requirement.
Platforms must suspend, restrict, disable, or remove accounts reasonably determined to be owned, operated, or used by minors.
The restrictions, however, would not automatically apply to all online services.
The bill exempts electronic mail services, private messaging applications, online gaming services not primarily used for social networking, educational platforms, news services, and professional collaboration tools.
The distinction could be significant for gaming platforms such as Roblox, as the proposed restrictions would depend on whether a service falls under the high-risk classification established by the measure.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would be responsible for implementing the law once enacted.
The agency would also be required to establish a publicly accessible reporting platform where individuals could report suspected violations.
Complaints involving harmful content requiring immediate intervention would be referred or escalated to the concerned digital service providers for expedited action.
The measure also introduces substantial penalties for noncompliance.
High-risk digital service providers found violating the proposed law could face fines ranging from P5 million to P20 million per violation, along with an additional P100,000 daily fine for continued noncompliance.
Parents and legal guardians would also face penalties if they knowingly help minors bypass age-assurance mechanisms.
Those found violating the provision could be fined up to P50,000 or required to perform community service and attend mandatory digital parenting and child safety programs.
The proposed legislation also seeks to reduce distractions caused by mobile devices and electronic gadgets while protecting children from online risks.
The Senate’s approval comes amid growing concerns over children’s exposure to harmful content, inappropriate interactions, and other safety risks on social media and online gaming platforms.
The measure is not yet law and would still need to complete the remaining legislative process before implementation.
