Sen. Risa Hontiveros cast the lone vote against the proposed ban on social media access for Filipinos below 18, arguing that a blanket prohibition could limit young people’s access to political information, livelihood opportunities and support networks they rely on online.
Hontiveros cited minors who earn money through online selling and virtual assistant jobs, young people who keep in touch with relatives overseas, abuse survivors who seek support groups online and students who use social media to voice complaints that might otherwise go unheard.
“Para sa isang anak ng OFW, social media is how he stays connected with his mother, who has lived abroad for most of his life,” she said.
Hontiveros also stressed the importance of social media in keeping young people informed about politics.
“If we deprive them of this access, we limit the information to enable them to vote wisely,” she said.
While acknowledging the risks of cyberbullying, grooming, harmful content and sexual exploitation, Hontiveros argued that the response should focus on stricter safeguards and proposed age-based restrictions, stronger default privacy settings, tighter limits on adult contact, restrictions on targeted advertising and profiling, and stronger parental and educational protections for younger users.
She said digital literacy should instead be strengthened so young people can recognize misinformation, scams, grooming and exploitation while understanding how algorithms and data collection shape what they see online.
“I believe that our objective is not simply to keep children off social media but to make sure that the online environment is safe for them, and that they are well equipped to find their way in that world safely and productively,” Hontiveros said.
She maintained that keeping minors safe online requires stronger platform accountability and better preparation for young users, not just restricting access.
“Taking it away from them all of a sudden without providing adequate ways for them to cope with its absence is not the answer to their needs and it is not the answer to our collective fears,” she said.
