The Philippines’ House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a bill restricting children under 13 from accessing social media platforms, following a series of fatal school shootings involving minors.
Lawmakers voted in favour of the measure on Monday, while the Senate approved a similar bill last week that would impose restrictions on social media access for individuals under 18.
The proposed legislation comes amid growing concerns over online safety and youth violence, following three fatal school shootings involving minors since June.
In one incident in August, a student livestreamed himself shooting and killing a classmate, highlighting concerns about the role of social media and digital platforms in incidents involving young people.
The House and Senate will now reconcile differences between their respective bills before submitting a final version to the President for approval.
If enacted, the legislation would introduce new restrictions on social media access for young users in the Philippines, although the final age limit will depend on the reconciled bill.
