To address growing concerns about youth safety online, the Philippine Senate has overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill No. 2424 on third and final reading. This bill is officially known as the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act. This legislation seeks to prohibit minors under 18 from accessing “high-risk” digital platforms. It could potentially reshape how the next generation uses the internet.
Big tech companies like Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) and even gaming platforms like Roblox will have to do the heavy lifting. The law says they need to set up strict age checks to keep minors from signing up. If they find out a user is under 18, they have to suspend or even delete those accounts.
SMART KIDS Act policies and penalties
The penalties are no joke. Platforms that break the SMART KIDS ACt could get hit with fines up toP20 million for each violation. And they could pay P100,000 for every day if they don’t fix things. Even parents or guardians who help kids get around the age checks could be fined up to P50,000. But not everything is off-limits. Email, private messaging apps, educational sites, news, and low-risk gaming websites are still allowed.
This potential new legislation comes after three deadly school shootings in the Philippines, which authorities say were linked to harmful online content. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian says the bill is meant to stop digital platforms from being used to groom minors into violence.
Senator Robinhood Padilla sponsored the bill, and it’s definitely a tough stance on digital safety. But not everyone agreed. Senator Risa Hontiveros was the only one to vote no. She says teens need better education and digital skills, not just a total ban. Industry experts have also criticized the new bill. They’ve said that social media platforms and online companies should adjust their algorithms that push inappropriate content to minors.
Sen. Hontiveros said that for younger adolescents, the government should require stronger default privacy and data settings, tighter restrictions on adult contact. She also said platforms should limit targeted advertising and profiling. Platforms should also require stronger parental and educational safeguards.
If the SMART KIDS Act goes into effect, the Philippines will join countries like Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia in banning social media for minors. It’s a big message to tech companies: protecting Filipino kids comes first, even before user numbers.
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