In the wake of the school shooting in Zamboanga City, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian renewed his call to ban social media use among minors below 16 years old.
Gatchalian raised concern over the livestream of the shooting, which was viewed and reposted by countless social media users.
He said the livestream and sharing of clips from the shooting, including other graphic materials, could not only cause distress but also risk making violence appear normal, especially among young people.
“Patuloy nating isinusulong ang social media ban para sa mga menor de edad upang itaguyod ang kanilang kaligtasan at kapakanan. Hindi na natin maaaring hayaan na manaig ang pinsala ng social media at ang impluwensiya nito upang itulak sa karahasan ang ating mga kabataan,” he said.
Gatchalian’s proposed ban is contained in the Social Media Safety for Children Act, or Senate Bill No. 2066.
The measure would require social media platforms to put safeguards in place, including age and identity verification systems, measures to prevent users from getting around age restrictions, and prompt reporting and response mechanisms for underage access, among others.IMT
