Following Indonesia’s enforcement of a social media ban for minors under 16, Senator Win Gatchalian reiterated his push for a similar prohibition in the Philippines.
Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to enforce a social media ban for minors.
“Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to enforce a social media ban for minors.”
Under the regulation, minors below 16 will be prohibited from creating accounts on platforms deemed ‘high-risk’, including Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, YouTube, X, and Roblox, among others.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) previously urged telcos to prepare for a possible nationwide Roblox block to protect children from online exploitation and harmful content.
Gatchalian’s call also follows a Los Angeles jury finding YouTube and Meta liable for childhood social media addiction.
“Every one-hour increase in 15-year old Filipino learners’ use of digital devices for leisure resulted in a four-point decrease in math scores.”
The veteran legislator also recalled the results of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which found that every one-hour increase in 15-year old Filipino learners’ use of digital devices for leisure resulted in a four-point decrease in math scores.
“Huwag na nating hayaang lumala pa ang problema bago tayo kumilos,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
In 2024, Australia became the first country in the world to ban minors under 16 on social media. The ban took full effect in December 2025.
