After the Senate passed Senate Bill 2424, which seeks to impose an outright ban on social media use for individuals aged 17 and below, Senator Risa Hontiveros stood as the lone dissenting voice, delivering a detailed explanation of her negative vote. The bill emerged as a legislative response to a series of school shootings in the Philippines, with lawmakers arguing that young perpetrators had been influenced by nihilistic content circulating online. Hontiveros acknowledged the urgency of addressing online harms but argued that a blanket ban is not the correct or effective solution.
She began her speech by sharing real stories of Filipino youth whose lives are deeply intertwined with social media. A 17‑year‑old working student earns income through TikTok selling and virtual assistant work to support his struggling family. A harassment victim was ignored by her school until she shared her story online. A child of an OFW relies on social media to stay connected with his mother abroad. A minor survivor of abuse found courage and community through online support groups. For these young people, Hontiveros emphasized, social media is not merely entertainment—it is livelihood, connection, advocacy, and emotional refuge. Removing access entirely, she argued, would sever these vital lifelines.
Hontiveros stressed that while online risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, harmful content, and violent extremism are real, the central question is how to protect children effectively. She cited the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which recognizes the “evolving capacities” of minors. A 13‑year‑old and a 17‑year‑old may both be under 18, she noted, but they differ significantly in maturity and decision‑making ability. An outright ban ignores these developmental differences and fails to consider that many teens legally work at age 15—often relying on social media for income. In a difficult economy, she argued, the ban would strip young people of legitimate livelihood opportunities.
Instead of prohibition, Hontiveros advocated for tiered restrictions that adjust safeguards according to age. Younger adolescents should have stronger privacy settings, tighter limits on adult contact, restrictions on targeted advertising, and robust parental and educational oversight. As minors mature, they should gradually gain autonomy while still being protected from harmful content and exploitative platform designs. She also warned that bans often fail in practice: Australia’s under‑16 ban resulted in eight out of ten teens continuing to use social media, often through hidden or unregulated channels. Such underground activity, she cautioned, could push Filipino youth toward the dark web, where risks are far greater and oversight is minimal.
Hontiveros concluded by calling for legislation that demands accountability from tech companies, strengthens platform safety design, and equips young people with essential digital life skills—understanding algorithms, recognizing grooming, responding to cyberbullying, and identifying misinformation. She argued that the goal should not be to keep children off social media entirely, but to ensure that digital spaces are safer and that youth are prepared to navigate them responsibly. With these arguments, she respectfully registered her negative vote on Senate Bill 2424.
