As more countries move toward bans or strict limits on social media, the pressure is growing on Manila to act with haste.
Across the world, countries are racing to shield children from social media’s harms.
From Australia and France to Malaysia and Indonesia, more and more nations are hitting the pause button on kids’ social media use, slapping age limits on apps and requiring platforms to prove who’s really behind each account.
As other countries roll out bans and regulations, the Philippines is now wondering whether it should follow suit. On paper, blocking kids from social media sounds like the simplest, most logical way to protect them.
In reality, overseas examples show that a blanket ban can leave them feeling isolated, push them into darker corners of the web, give society a false sense of security, among other downsides.
This tension—between imposing a strict ban or enforcing tighter regulations—frames the current policy debate in Manila. Should the government prohibit social media for minors altogether? If not, how can we make children’s online experiences safer without shutting them off from the digital world entirely?
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What other countries have been doing
Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16, mandating platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube to deploy age‑verification technology or face hefty fines.
Justin Hendrix, the chief executive and editor of Tech Policy Press, said that Australia’s ban has become a “bellwether.” Since February, the nonprofit media venture has been tracking efforts in more than 40 countries to see which measures are being put in place. “It certainly seemed to spark a curiosity among other regulators.”
True enough, on July 21, France became the first European Union country to bar children under 15 from apps such as TikTok. The country also requires platforms to close existing accounts and implement state-approved age checks. The ban will be phased in from late 2026.
Other European countries, like Greece, Spain, Norway, and Cyprus, are debating or enacting minimum age limits, while the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States are updating online safety laws.
Here in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia have introduced rules that block or deactivate accounts for under-16s on “high‑risk” platforms and compel companies to build age‑verification systems, with significant penalties for non-compliance.
On June 1, Malaysia barred under-16s from signing up for a social media account. Last July 22, Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the country will continue with its regulatory approach instead of imposing a blanket ban.
Meanwhile, Indonesian law now requires “high-risk” platforms—including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Roblox—to prevent access by minors under 16. Limited use is allowed but only under adult supervision. On June 26, TikTok and YouTube have deactivated about 4.7 million accounts belonging to users under 16, in compliance with new regulations introduced by the Indonesian government last March.
For a full list of countries that have passed social media laws in 2026, you may visit this page.
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What now, Philippines?
The Philippines is now debating whether or not to follow this growing global trend of limiting or banning social media access for children under 16. This is especially urgent given the country’s status as the “social media capital of the world,” a title it retained in 2025.
The latest Meltwater 2026 statistics show the Philippines’ 117-million-strong population is deeply plugged virtually, with 83.8%— about 98 million people—online and 81.9% (95.8 million identities) active on social media.
Filipinos spend an average of 33 hours and 50 minutes per week on social platforms, and almost all internet users (97.8%) go online via mobile phones, supported by 137 million mobile connections—equivalent to 117% of the population.
Pro‑ban legislators argue that a clear legal age line, complemented by fines and technical enforcement, would send a strong signal to social networking companies and parents, and could reduce contact with online predators and harmful content. They contend that the Philippines risks falling behind global child‑protection standards if it relies only on voluntary parental controls and self‑regulation of platforms.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have filed bills seeking to prohibit children aged 16 and younger from accessing social media apps and sites.
In April, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian proposed the Social Media Safety for Children Act (Senate Bill No. 2066), emphasizing the need to safeguard children from online risks and threats.
Last June 29, he renewed his call to ban children with the same age threshold. “The biggest question here is what influences children these days to commit violence? Children are not violent in nature. There are influences that happen that affect the way they think,” he said. His call came in the wake of the deadly June 22 shooting in Tacloban and other reports of school violence.
In the Lower House, CIBAC party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva authored House Bill (HB) 8262 or the Social Media Protection for Minors Act. It proposes a nationwide ban for users 16 and under, citing exposure to harmful content and online predators.
A Social Media Accountability Council will also be created and attached to the Department of Information and Communications Technology to protect underage users, following the Social Media Accountability Act or HB 7300.
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Why a blanket ban isn’t the solution
However, experts and child advocates have voiced their unease with an outright ban, instead calling for age‑appropriate regulations, stronger parental involvement, and enhanced digital literacy campaigns.
Save the Philippines, for example, on Sunday, July 26, said it does not support a blanket ban on social media for children, following the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) proposal, which it discussed at last week’s ASEAN Chiefs of Police conference in Pasay.
The child rights organization cited concerns with Australia’s social media law, including technical issues enforcing age limits, privacy risks from age checks, and the risk that children would move to less-regulated platforms. Instead of a total ban, the group said it is backing measures to strengthen online child protection while preserving children’s rights.
Worth mentioning is a recent report in the Singaporean daily The Straits Times, which revealed how Malaysia’s new ban on social media for under-16s is leaving many younger teenagers feeling cut off and isolated.
Teens such as 14‑year‑old Muhammad Miqdad described social media as a “third place,” a vital space for learning and leisure. He used TikTok not only for entertainment but also to access educational content. With the ban, he said he feels “frustrated” and “cut off from the world.”
Other young people interviewed for the story shared that their neighborhoods lack parks, youth centers, or safe gathering places, so going “offline” does not automatically mean they have somewhere else to go. One teen noted that in his area, there is “literally nowhere to go except the concrete roadside or the local mamak stall.”
Like in the case of Australia, the report exposed practical, social, and technical gaps in how Malaysia’s policy works. It explored how the “offline-ing” of youth collides with limited physical spaces for leisure and age-verification systems that aren’t entirely foolproof, raising questions about whether or not the ban truly makes children safer online.
Also, members of Gen Z and Gen Alpha are digital natives, meaning they don’t know of a world without the internet. Cutting them off entirely from social media can increase loneliness and isolation rather than prevent these from happening.
Many young people find mental health support, peer listening, and crisis help through online communities and personalities who talk openly about struggles. Removing these channels can leave vulnerable teens with fewer places to turn.
When social media is prohibited, children may hide both their usage and their distress, becoming less likely to tell adults when they encounter harmful content or a friend in crisis, for fear of getting punished for breaking the rules.
Then there are the educational and developmental costs. Social media is also used for education, activism, creative expression, professional networking, and skill‑building (e.g., language practice, study groups). A blanket ban removes these benefits along with the risks.
There’s also the possibility of missed digital literacy development. If access is completely cut off, children and teens have fewer opportunities to learn how to critically evaluate content, manage privacy, set boundaries, and regulate their own screen time—skills they will need as adults. It can reduce their exposure to public affairs and limit their participation in social causes.
Moreover, an article on The Conversation said that a complete ban on social media will only provide a false sense of security. “Rules will exist, but compliance will be patchy and hard to enforce. Those most determined to access social media may also be the most resourceful in getting around restrictions,” the article stated. It added that evidence shows that “when certain activities are driven underground, they often become more harmful.”
This is why a ban may push young users into darker, more dangerous corners of the internet. Citizen Watch Philippines, for instance, called on Congress to adopt a “balanced and proportionate” regulation on social media rather than a blanket ban on minors, as it may simply push them toward riskier platforms.
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Finding a middle ground
As more countries move toward bans or strict limits, pressure is growing on Manila to act with haste. The Philippine context, with its high connectivity, family‑centric digital habits, and wide social‑media use, requires careful thought.
Policymakers might find a layered approach more practical: setting a legal minimum age and consent rules, requiring platforms to verify ages and provide safety tools, and investing in digital-literacy programs for students, parents, guardians, and teachers. Substantial penalties may be imposed on tech companies that neglect their duty to safeguard minors.
The challenge for the Philippines is clear: put safeguards in place to protect young users, or risk heavy-handed bans that clash with a society where family ties, classrooms, and communities already revolve around social media.
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