Philippine Lower House Approves Bill Restricting Minors' Access to Social Media
The Philippine lower house on Monday, October 12 approved a bill that would restrict minors' access to social media. Reuters reported the measure passed overwhelmingly. It must still clear the Senate and presidential signing to become law, and its exact age thresholds and platform obligations will follow the text Congress publishes.
The bill joins a global wave of youth online-safety legislation: several countries have recently adopted minors' social-media bans or strict age-verification regimes, with debate swinging between the urgency of protecting young people's mental health and privacy, and questions of enforcement cost, technical feasibility and free-speech limits.
The same day, the Senate impeachment court held Day 38 of Vice President Sara Duterte's trial, with defense lawyers cross-examining the prosecution's final witness, forensic accountant Alexander Cabrera. Cabrera had testified on October 9 that the couple's unexplained wealth reached 817.87 million pesos for 2022–2025; prosecutors were signalling a major procedural move as the day closed. The House also passed the 7.2-trillion-peso national budget for 2027, amid concerns about pork-barrel allocations.
The bill's age thresholds, platform obligations and penalties will be further defined during Senate deliberations, with the final text to be taken from the version Congress publishes.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲律宾众议院（巴塔桑）全体会议厅。摄影：Congress of the Philippines，Public domain，取自 Wikimedia Commons
