President Bongbong Marcos is holding off on backing a blanket social media ban for minors, saying his administration is still studying whether restricting access is the right way to address online risks and violence involving young people.
“The blanket ban, that’s also something that still we’re studying really hard,” Marcos said,
signaling that Malacañang is not ready to immediately embrace an outright prohibition.
The President said the government is examining approaches taken by other countries, but stressed that protecting young people from violence and other harms requires a broader response than simply cutting off social media access.
His position comes as lawmakers move separately on tighter rules for children online. The Senate has approved on final reading a measure restricting social media access for minors, with Sen. Risa Hontiveros casting the lone no vote. She argued that a blanket ban could also limit young people’s access to useful information, including political content they may eventually need as voters.
Marcos’ cautious stance keeps the administration from committing to a blanket ban while the policy is still being assessed. The debate now centers on how far government should go in restricting minors’ access while addressing online safety, harmful content and other risks facing young users.
The Senate-approved measure now advances through the legislative process as Malacañang weighs whether its proposed restrictions strike the right balance between protecting minors and preserving access to digital platforms.
Marcos said digital service providers had grown more open to working with the government to tackle harmful content online.
He noted that platforms signaled they would take down material once authorities showed it involved prohibited or dangerous activity.
