Three school shootings in the past April! Philippine House of Representatives passes bill banning social media for those under 13 years old

The Philippine House of Representatives today passed a bill banning children under the age of 13 from using social media, taking a step closer to restricting minors' use of social platforms.

Reuters reports that as public concerns grow about the impact of social media on children's health and safety, the Philippines has become the latest country to try to curb the use of social platforms by minors, joining countries such as Greece, Portugal, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

After the Philippine Senate recently passed a similar bill, the House of Representatives also overwhelmingly supported restrictions on the use of social media by minors.

The House and Senate need to reconcile their respective versions of the bill and submit a final draft to the president for approval. The Senate version prohibits those under 18 from registering social media accounts, which is more stringent than the bill passed by the House of Representatives.

Three school shootings in the Philippines since June have once again triggered heated discussions about children's use of social media and access to online content, prompting Congress to enact legislation.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said yesterday that he continues to study the bill passed by the Senate, pointing out that a complete ban on social media may make children conceal their online activities, making them more vulnerable to online deception and abuse.

Short video platform TikTok, audio and video platform YouTube parent company Alphabet, and Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms have not yet responded to requests for comment on the Philippine House of Representatives passing a ban on children's social groups.