DICT urges Congress to pass digital safety law to protect Filipinos online

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Wednesday pushed for legislation that would provide a safer digital space for Filipinos.

“I would push and I would aspire na mapasa ‘yan (it would be passed) by third quarter,” DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said at the sidelines of Digital Bayanihan Summit in Manila.

He is also hopeful that “by Christmas, mas malinis na ang Internet (the Internet would be safer).”

The DICT chief said lawmakers are consolidating various pending bills – covering platform colocation requirements, age restrictions, and content classification – into a “single mother legislation.”

He said the DICT is suggesting the establishment of a minimum age access for social media at 16 years old, as well as requiring social media platforms to set up corporate presence in the country.

The agency also proposed mandating content moderation by Filipino personnel and creating direct reporting channels between the government and platform operators.

“In fairness to the platforms, kapag may batas, sumusunod sila (if there’s a law, they follow it),” Aguda said.

Until the law is in place, the DICT secretary said the agency would continue its coordination with platforms. — JMA, GMA News