House Bill No. 11566, o Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE KIDS) Act, aprubado na ng Kamara

INAPRUBAHAN ng Kamara sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang House Bill No. 11566, o Safe and Friendly Environment for Kids in Digital Spaces (SAFE KIDS) Act, isang panukala na magtatatag ng framework para maproteksuyan ang mga bata sa social media at online gaming platforms.

Sa botong 287-3-0, inaprubahan ng mga mambabatas ang panukala na layunin ay bigyan konsiderasyon ang interes ng mga bata at proteksyunan sila sa peligro ng makabagong teknolohiya, ayon kay Pasig City Rep. Roman T. Romulo, chairman ng House Committee on Basic Education and Culture.

“The concern, therefore, is not whether children should have a place in the digital world. They already do. The question before us is whether the digital environment in which they grow up provides adequate safeguards for their safety, development, and well-being,” sabi ni Romulo.

Batay sa HB 11566, dalawang level ng proteksyon ang itatatag. Ang mga bata na below 13 years of age ay hindi maaring magkaroon ng social media accounts samantalang ang mga bata aged 13 to below 18 years ay bibigyan ng restricted access.

Ang Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) ay inatasan na itatag ang SAFE KIDS Office na siyang pangunahing ahensiya na magpapatupad ng batas.

“The policy question is therefore not simply one of access versus prohibition. It is a question of how access should be structured, what safeguards must accompany it, and who should be accountable when those safeguards are absent,” paliwanag ni Romulo. 

“Technology will continue to evolve. The challenge before us is to ensure that the rights and welfare of children remain central as they navigate an increasingly connected world,” dagdag ng kongresista. 

(VINA de GUZMAN)