TINGOG backs bill strengthening online safeguards for children

by Miriam G Desacada

Borongan Eastern r– TINGOG Party-list welcomed the approval on second reading of House Bill No. 11566, or the proposed Children’s Digital Safety, Protection, and Well-Being Act, which seeks to strengthen protection for children against harmful online content, exploitation, and risks linked to social media and online gaming platforms.

The measure was approved on Tuesday, October 6. It seeks to establish age restrictions, child safety standards, and accountability mechanisms for digital platforms while strengthening the role of parents and government agencies in protecting children online.

TINGOG Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre are among the authors of the bill.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and Reps. Florabel Yatco, Mikaela Angela Suansing, Roman Romulo, and Jude Acidre served as sponsors.

Acidre said the bill recognizes the growing role of digital technology in children’s education and development while addressing its risks.

“You can no longer separate the internet and social media from the lives of our children. This is where they learn, make friends, and discover the world. But we also know that these same spaces can expose them to exploitation, harmful content, and experiences they may not yet be equipped to handle. Our responsibility is to ensure that the digital world they grow up in is one where their safety and well-being are protected,” Acidre said.

Under HB 11566, digital platforms would be prohibited from allowing children below 13 years old to create, maintain, or use accounts or access covered services and interactive features. Children aged 13 to below 18 may access digital platforms subject to parental consent and prescribed safeguards.

The safeguards include restrictions on harmful or prohibited content, advertisements, recommendations, communications and interactions, livestreaming, endless scrolling, short-form video feeds, behavioral profiling, unnecessary collection or sharing of personal information, purchases, and gambling-like mechanisms.

The bill would also require digital platforms to establish effective, privacy-preserving age assurance systems, including reverification of users’ ages at least twice a year. Requiring users to merely declare their birth dates would not be sufficient.

Acidre stressed that protecting children online must go beyond parental supervision and include stronger accountability from companies operating digital platforms.

“A large part of the responsibility lies with parents, but we cannot rely on them alone for the safety of our children online. Digital platforms must also be accountable for how their services are designed, how children interact with others, and what content reaches them. Child safety should already be built into these platforms, not something families have to figure out on their own,” he said.

The proposed measure covers the social and interactive features of online gaming platforms, including communication, content-sharing, livestreaming, and other user-interaction functions, without extending regulation to core gameplay and game mechanics outside the measure’s specified coverage.

To oversee implementation, HB 11566 proposes the creation of an Office for Children’s Social Media and Digital Safety within the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Beyond regulation, the measure also provides for educational and community-based initiatives to help parents and caregivers develop the knowledge and skills needed to guide children toward safer and more responsible digital habits.

Acidre said protecting children online requires a shared commitment from government, families, educators, and technology companies while ensuring children continue to benefit from technology.

“We do not want to keep children away from technology. We want them to enjoy its benefits, to learn, discover, and connect with others, without being unnecessarily exposed to harm. What matters is that as the world they navigate grows wider, our care for them remains,” Acidre said.