Cavite: Cavite 2nd District Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla is advocating for a legislative measure aiming to establish an oversight body to ensure transparency, responsibility, and safety in social media platforms. House Bill (HB) 7300, known as the Social Media Accountability Act, intends to create the Social Media Accountability Council (SMAC) responsible for setting safety standards, reviewing platform practices, and ensuring compliance with national digital safety and user protection regulations.
According to Philippines News Agency, the proposed council will operate under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and will include representatives from various government agencies such as the DICT, National Privacy Commission, Department of Health, Department of Justice, and Department of Trade and Industry. It will also involve experts from academia and civil society groups focusing on digital safety and child protection.
SMAC will have the authority to establish safety standards, investigate violations, mandate corrective actions, and impose administrative penalties. These sanctions might include fines up to PHP10 million per violation and orders to modify, suspend, or disable harmful platform features.
HB 7300 acknowledges the dual role of social media platforms in fostering communication, creativity, and expression, while also recognizing their powerful influence on public discourse and daily life through their design and recommendation systems.
'Every day, social media algorithms shape what Filipino families see and experience online, from the news that appears on their feeds to the videos recommended to their children. When left unchecked, these systems can cause real harm, particularly to children and other vulnerable users,' Mercado-Revilla stated.
The bill emphasizes accountability over opinion policing, aiming to ensure that digital systems prioritize user protection over profit. It seeks to maintain a balance between protecting free expression and ensuring responsibility, safety, and fairness in the digital space.
