SENATOR Loren Legarda is pushing for stronger safeguards for children online through a proposed measure that seeks to establish a minimum age for social media use and impose stricter obligations on platform providers.

Under Senate Bill No. 1955, or the Children’s Safety in Social Media Act, Legarda underscored the profound impact of social media on how Filipinos learn, communicate, and engage in public life.

While acknowledging its benefits, the senator warned that social media can also mislead, overwhelm, and harm users—particularly children—who are exposed to digital environments designed to capture attention, amplify conflict, and prioritize virality over truth.

“In the digital age, accountability is critical,” Legarda said in her explanatory note, recalling her background in journalism prior to the rise of social media. She emphasized the importance of upholding truth and protecting vulnerable users, especially children.

Legarda stressed that young people deserve stronger protections in online spaces where algorithms influence what they see, believe, and how they behave.

The proposed measure sets a minimum age requirement for access to covered social media services and places primary responsibility on platform providers—not on children, parents, or schools—to enforce these restrictions.

It mandates companies to implement reasonable, proportionate, and privacy-preserving measures to prevent underage users from registering, accessing, or continuing to use such platforms.

The bill also outlines clear limitations and procedural safeguards, and proposes the creation of an inter-agency council to ensure consistent standards, coordinated enforcement, and accountability across government.

The measure reflects growing concern over the impact of digital platforms on children and aims to create a safer online environment for the country’s youth.