01/09/2026
𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗡𝗢 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟲
The Child Rights Network expresses its firm opposition to a blanket social media ban for children under 16.
Children, just like adults, have digital rights – and the government must put the best interests of the child at the heart of every decision affecting those rights.
The digital environment is no longer separate from our everyday human experience. It is an extension of our offline world, where adults learn, search for information, and communicate with their peers – a space to express ourselves and take part in what’s happening around us. 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗼𝗼.
Protecting children online, therefore, cannot simply mean keeping them away from the internet. It must also mean 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁.
It means shaping a digital environment that supports their full range of rights – to 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹, 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
This is also the approach reflected in General Comment No. 25 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Adopted in 2021, 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗼. 𝟮𝟱 provides guidance on how children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child apply in the digital environment. The Philippines is a State Party to the Convention.
The General Comment makes clear that State Parties, such as the Philippines, have a responsibility to shape digital environments that are not only safe, but are also 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 for children.
𝗪𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.
We teach children how to recognize risks, seek help, and talk to trusted adults.
We support parents in building family environments where open communication thrives – where their children can ask questions and be heard without fear of being judged, shamed, or dismissed.
We create school and online environments where children can navigate their daily lives with their physical and mental well-being intact, ready to face life’s challenges and free from bullying and other forms of abuse.
We build communities where children can speak up and report wrongdoing, and where everyone shares responsibility for keeping them safe – so they are not left isolated or pushed toward communities that may exploit, groom, or lead them down toward harmful life paths.
And we hold platforms and adults accountable for creating, enabling, or exploiting unsafe environments for children – including business models, platform designs, harmful content, grooming, exploitation, or other conditions that put children at risk.
𝗔 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲-𝗼𝗳-𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.
It risks placing the burden of navigating online harms on children and their families, while leaving the underlying systems that create those harms largely untouched.
The Child Rights Network believes that a blanket social media ban mistakes restriction for resolution. It is a simplistic answer to a complex issue that deserves more thought and consultation.
It sidelines the responsibility of legislators to consult in a meaningful way the very sector that it seeks to protect – the children. We ask, in all these debates and proposed resolutions about a social media ban: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻?
As one child representative from the Batang Juan Network, a member of the Child Rights Network, puts it:
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 16 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙣, 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙤. 𝙄 𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙜𝙚-𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨."
“𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙣, 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨, 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮.”
This is what is missing from the adults’ push for a social media ban. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 – 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗥𝗖.
Australia’s under-16 social media restriction, which was a political decision rather than based on scientific study, demonstrates that a legal ban does not necessarily mean children disappear from these platforms. In fact, as one independent study reported, nearly 86% of under-16s surveyed were still using at least one platform covered by their social media ban. In most cases, the parents themselves create the accounts for their children.
This means that our human experience – connecting with our loved ones, sharing, seeking information, expressing ourselves, and participating in the world around us – cannot simply be contained. We cannot wish away the digital environment that children have grown up in.
To our legislators proposing a social media ban: we can do better than simply taking away their access, their participation, and their rights, in the name of “protection.”
If we are to truly protect children, we need to make their environments safer and prepare them for the digital world they already are living in.
And most importantly, in all matters affecting children, we must not forget that they have a right to be consulted. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲.
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