A proposed measure in the Senate seeks to tighten safeguards for children in digital spaces by shifting greater responsibility to online platform operators rather than young users and their guardians.
The proposal, Senate Bill No. 2071 or the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces (SMART KIDS) Act, aims to establish a framework regulating access to online platforms for users below 15 years old, focusing on prevention, platform accountability, and safer digital design.
The measure, authored by Senator Joel Villanueva, stresses that responsibility for protecting minors online should rest primarily on companies that design and profit from digital services. It seeks to prevent minors from creating accounts on covered platforms and requires operators to implement systems capable of detecting, verifying, suspending, or removing underage accounts.
Platforms will also be required to adopt stronger age verification tools, content moderation systems, and safety-by-design features. These include parental controls, content filters, interaction limits, and tools that manage screen time and reduce exposure to harmful or excessive content.
The bill also targets features that may encourage compulsive use, requiring companies to review and limit algorithm-driven content that promotes prolonged engagement or addictive behavior patterns.
In addition, the proposal imposes transparency standards and strengthens data privacy protections to ensure that child safety measures do not compromise users’ personal information or fundamental rights.
Under the measure, platform operators who fail to comply may face penalties ranging from P1 million to P20 million, depending on the severity of violations.
Supporters of the proposal say the goal is to modernize child protection policies in line with today’s digital environment, where children are increasingly exposed to social media and online platforms at an early age. The measure emphasizes that safeguarding young users should be built into platform systems rather than relying solely on post-incident enforcement or parental supervision.
Villanueva said the approach reflects a broader principle: those who design and benefit from digital ecosystems must also be responsible for ensuring they are safe for vulnerable users.