The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2424, or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Space (SMART KIDS) Act, which seeks to prohibit minors below 18 years old from creating accounts on age-restricted social media platforms.
The chamber passed the measure during a brief plenary session with a vote of 16 affirmative, one negative, and zero abstentions before adjourning its sessions.
Senator Risa Hontiveros cast the lone negative vote against the bill, arguing instead for a framework built around age-appropriate restrictions.
In registering her negative vote, Hontiveros said she believes that the approach should be to implement ”tiered restrictions for adolescents”.
”For younger adolescents, we should require stronger default privacy and data settings, tighter restrictions on adult contact, limits on targeted advertising and profiling, and stronger parental and educational safeguards,” Hontiveros said.
”As adolescents mature, maaari natin silang unti-unting bigyan ng awtonomiya habang nananatili ang mga proteksyon laban sa abuso at eksploytasyon, at harmful content. Kasama rin sa mga proteksyon ang pag-kontrol sa algorithmic systems at disenyo ng mga social media platforms na tumutulak sa ating mga kabataan na malulong sa social media,” Hontiveros also said.
Hontiveros noted that her proposed threshold for banning social media use is 13 years old and below.
Hontiveros also said that some youngsters below 18 depend on social media to earn their living through online selling or serving as virtual assistants for social media personalities.
Hontiveros also said social media serves as a communication tool for youth with parents working overseas.
”May isang minor na victim-survivor ng pang-aabuso na nakahanap ng support group online. Sa mga online community nakilala niya ang ibang dumaan sa parehong karanasan at nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob na magsalita at humingi ng tulong,” Hontiveros added.
Sponsored by Senator Robin Padilla, SB No. 2424 prohibits children below 18 from registering, accessing, using, maintaining, operating, or creating an account on age-restricted social media platforms to shield them from physical, mental, social, and emotional harm.
The restriction excludes emails, private messaging applications without public or group features, school platforms, news websites, and online gaming platforms.
Padilla said the bill aims to protect children from physical, mental, social, and emotional harms through the use of social media platforms.
The bill requires international social media platforms operating in the Philippines to comply, appoint a country representative, and cooperate with local authorities, with violating platforms facing fines from P5 million to P20 million, and non-compliant parents or guardians facing fines between P5,000 and P20,000 or community service.
During the same session, the Senate also approved Senate Resolution No. 650, concurring in the ratification of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) between the Philippines and France, with a vote of 17 affirmative, no negative, and no abstentions.
Authored and sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the resolution marks the concurrence to the defense agreement signed in France in March 2026 by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and French Minister for the Armed Forces Catherin Vautrin, which permits joint military exercises, training, disaster response cooperation, and enhanced maritime security activities.
Zubiri said the Philippines’ SOVFA with France is a ”historical moment” since it is the first agreement with a European nation.
Additionally, the Senate approved on third reading several other measures, including Senate Bill No. 2508 (Residential Emancipation for Calamity Survivors Act), Senate Bill No. 2507 (Affordable and Decent Rental Housing Incentives Act), Senate Bill No. 2503 (Rental Housing Subsidy Act), Senate Bill No. 1922 (amending the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992), Senate Bill No. 2423 (Bagong Balikbayan Act), Senate Bill No. 2495 (Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program Act), Senate Bill No. 2484 (National Line Workers Appreciation Day Act), and Senate Bill No. 2485 (mandatory insurance coverage for line workers).