EXPLAINER: Is a social media ban for minors protection or just a band-aid solution?

Following the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City, discussions have resurfaced on whether the Philippines should impose restrictions on social media use among minors.

Among the factors investigators are examining in connection with the incident is the possible influence of violent video games on the two suspects, who are both minors.

Malacañang Palace has expressed openness to proposals banning applications that depict violence to minors.

Meanwhile, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian voiced support for initiatives seeking to prohibit minors under 16 from accessing social media.

“Marami tayong mga kabataan ang nalululong sa social media at violent games, at marami na ring pag-aaral ang nagsasabi na nakakaimpluwensya ito sa kanilang mental health kaya kung titingnan natin ang cases ng mental health natin sa kabataan ay napakataas,” Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

(We have so many young people who are addicted to social media and violent games, and numerous studies already show that these affect their mental health. If we look at mental health cases among the youth, the numbers are alarmingly high.)

A Senate inquiry into the Tacloban school shooting has been scheduled for July 1 and will be led by the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, chaired by Risa Hontiveros.

“Sa July 1, muli nating bubuksan ang pagdinig para alamin kung may papel ang mga online platforms sa pagkalat ng mararahas na ideya,” Hontiveros said.

“Nagiging pugad ng mga grupong nagbi-brainwash at nagra-radicalize sa mga bata,” she added.

(On July 1, we will reopen the hearing to determine whether online platforms play a role in spreading violent ideas. They are becoming breeding grounds for groups that brainwash and radicalize children.)

Earlier proposals

Even before the Tacloban shooting at San Jose National High School, there had already been calls to restrict social media access for minors.

In April, Senate Bill No. 2066, or the Social Media Safety for Children Bill, was filed.

The measure seeks to prohibit children below 16 from maintaining social media accounts and directs platforms to implement age-verification mechanisms to enforce the restriction.

Meanwhile, on June 27, the Department of Information and Communications Technology urged Congress to pass a digital safety law before the end of 2026.

Among its proposals is setting a minimum age of 16 for social media access.

‘The easiest, but not the solution’

The Council for the Welfare of Children opposes what it described as a “total ban.”

“Naniniwala kami na it’s like driving a nail with a giant jackhammer. Hindi po ’yan solution. It’s the easiest way to go, hindi pinag-isipan. It is not beneficial to children,” CWC Executive Director Angelo Tapales said.

(We believe it’s like driving a nail with a giant jackhammer. That is not a solution. It’s the easiest way out, without much thought, and it is not beneficial to children.)

Sociologist Ferdinand Sanchez II argued that banning minors from social media is impractical and fails to offer a long-term solution.

"Imagine, the harms experienced by minors and the youth are also experienced by those aged 17 and above," Sanchez said in an interview with GMA News.

“So the idea is, how then can we regulate or change the online environment in a way that is safer for everyone, especially minors?” he added.

Sanchez said digital harms are a persistent reality online, and simply banning minors from these spaces would fail to address the root causes of these threats.

He added that a ban could instead drive children to unregulated platforms, exposing them to greater risks.

Consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines issued a similar warning.

“Young users are highly adaptive in digital spaces. If access is restricted on mainstream platforms, some may simply migrate to channels that are harder for parents, platforms, and regulators to monitor,” the group said.

“That may risk displacing harm rather than reducing it.”

Children’s rights and privacy concerns

According to Sanchez, implementing a social media ban may also infringe on children’s rights to democratic participation and access to information under the auspices of the United Nations.

He also raised concerns about privacy, particularly if users are required to submit proof of identity for age verification.

“Una, yung protection mo on data privacy. It’s very difficult to even have a repository of that kasi una, pwedeng ma-exploit. Also, exposed tayo sa pwedeng ibenta yung ganitong klaseng personal details,” Sanchez said.

(First is data privacy protection. It’s difficult to maintain such a repository because it could be exploited. There is also the risk that these personal details could be sold.)

He added that age restrictions may also encourage minors to falsify documents or use the accounts of older users.

“Kapag nag-regulate sila either yung minors or yung young children, either they fabricate or even, actually this is evidence-based, na gumagamit din sila ng mga accounts ng mga older individuals,” Sanchez said.

(If a regulation is imposed, minors or young children may fabricate information or use the accounts of older individuals. This is evidence-based.)

Sanchez stressed the importance of involving young people in crafting policies and legislation on social media use, as well as in shaping safer online spaces.

“Isa rin sa mga tanong nila is paano nila kakausapin ’yung mga OFW na mga magulang nila?” he said.

(One of their questions is: how will they communicate with their parents who are OFWs?)

A ‘targeted’ solution

Instead of a blanket ban, Sanchez said policy responses should be more targeted, similar to measures addressing Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC), which focus heavily on perpetrators.

“Huwag tayong tumungo roon sa mga bills na blanket lang or even magba-ban ka, magte-take down ka lang, but rather, go to the root causes of these kinds of dilemma,” he said.

(Let us not resort to blanket bills or simple bans and takedowns. Instead, we should address the root causes of these dilemmas.)

The House of Representatives of the Philippines on June 2 approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 9461, or the Child Online Safety and Protection Bill.

The measure seeks to strengthen protections against OSAEC and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM).—Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo, with research from GMA DigiLab/MCG, GMA News