Romualdez panel protects kids from online abuse
TINGOG party-list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez has led the House committee on the welfare of children, which she chaired in approving a proposed law seeking to strengthen the internet and digital content safety and online protection for children.
The Romualdez panel approved the substitute measure in consolidation of several bills seeking stronger digital and online safety measures for children. The authors of the substitute measure include Romualdez, Reps. Mike Defensor, Rodante Marcoleta (SAGIP party-list), Dan Fernandez (1st District, Laguna); Florida Robes (Lone District, San Jose del Monte City); Ruffy Biazon (Lone District, Muntinlupa City); Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado (1st District, Bulacan), Raymond Democrito Mendoza (TUCP, Party-list), Diego “Nonoy” C. Ty (Misamis Occidental), and Divina Grace Yu (1st District, Zamboanga del Sur).
The measure aims to ban acts considered to be inimical to the online protection of children like child sexual exploitation and abuse materials; creation of high risk viral challenge; cyberbullying; cyberstalking; cyber mob attack; online child trafficking; online impersonation; online grooming; online publication of child terrorist and violent extremism; recruitment and exploitation materials; online selling of non-essential materials, products and services harmful to the physical and psychological safety and well-being of children; and selling of intimate sexual images as well as streaming of child sexual abuse and exploitation, among others
“We have made a lot of progress from a very diverse proposal from our authors to this cohesive and comprehensive bill we have at hand,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez stressed that the exposure of children to technological advancements should continue with features that would protect children from exploitation and online abuses.
The main thrust of the measure includes a secure a safe and age-appropriate online environment and digital content or applications for children, including social media content and participative networking platforms, such as video games and other similar Information Communications Technology (ICT) platforms.
The bill protects children from being exposed to harmful and inappropriate online content or material in websites and internet such as online sexual abuse and exploitation, unsafe child sexual abuse materials, viral challenges, cyberbullying, scamming, and other malicious, dangerous, or immoral online behavior.
It strengthens and institutionalizes child protection mechanisms at the national and local levels by ensuring its budget allocation, human resource, and other support related to the coordinating, monitoring, and overseeing the implementation of the bill.
The measure ensures the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the personal information collected from children to protect their privacy.
