Telco Backs Regulation Over Ban for Children's Social Media Use

MANILA, Philippines — As legislators and various groups continue discussions on calls to prohibit children below 16 years old from accessing social media, one of the country’s major telecommunications firms reaffirmed its firm advocacy for a balanced approach to online child safety. During the recent Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, who chairs the House technical working group on the proposed measures, said regulation would be a more practical solution than an aggressive total ban, underscoring the important role of parents in supervising children's online activities. Globe said it believes that protecting young Filipinos requires shared responsibility among families, schools, government, industry and digital platforms. The company advocates for solutions that address online risks while preserving opportunities for learning, innovation, and responsible digital participation through stronger platform safeguards, responsible parenting, and digital literacy. "Keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility," said Atty. Froilan Castelo, general counsel at Globe. "Protecting young people requires stronger platform safeguards, responsible digital citizenship, parental guidance, and continued collaboration among families, schools, government and industry." The company noted that digital platforms have strengthened youth safety through age requirements, parental supervision tools, content moderation and reporting mechanisms. Globe encourages technology providers to continue investing in safety-by-design features while ensuring young users continue to benefit from the educational, creative, and developmental opportunities that digital platforms provide. "Technology plays an important role on how young people learn and connect," Castelo added. "As we strengthen child protection measures, we must also equip them with the skills to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly." Globe also underscored the vital role of parents, educators, and communities in fostering healthy digital habits. The company believes effective child online protection requires practical, enforceable measures supported by digital literacy and responsible technology use. This balanced approach is shared by organizations in the Philippines and abroad. The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) has cautioned that an outright social media ban may push children to unregulated online spaces, emphasizing the need for stronger digital literacy, parental guidance and platform accountability. On the global level, Amnesty International UK described proposals to ban social media for children under 16 as the "right diagnosis, but wrong prescription," urging governments to focus on making digital platforms safer by design and holding technology companies accountable rather than relying solely on blanket restrictions. Globe said it has consistently advanced this approach through its advocacy for responsible technology use among young Filipinos. Earlier this month, the company expressed support for the Department of Education's efforts to promote responsible gadget use in schools, recognizing that digital literacy is key to creating safer digital spaces for learners. Through its Digital Thumbprint Program and partnerships with schools, government and communities, the firm said it continues to promote digital citizenship, cybersecurity awareness, media and information literacy and responsible online behavior among students, parents and educators. Globe said it remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen child online protection while fostering a digital environment that empowers Filipino youth to learn, innovate and participate safely and responsibly in the digital economy. (Contributed story)