Cavite, Philippines \u2013 Cavite Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla has filed the Social Media Accountability Act (House Bill 7300), a landmark measure seeking to establish the Social Media Accountability Council (SMAC) under the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed council will serve as an oversight body tasked with ensuring transparency, accountability, and safety across social media platforms operating in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safeguarding Users and Promoting Responsible Digital Practices<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bill aims to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Set clear safety standards for social media platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Review and monitor the business practices of social media companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Guarantee the protection of users, especially children and vulnerable sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercado-Revilla emphasized that the measure is not intended to suppress freedom of expression but to ensure that platforms prioritize the welfare of users over profit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
> \u201cThis is about accountability and responsibility. We must make sure that social media companies do not put profit above the safety and well-being of our people,\u201d Mercado-Revilla stated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement Powers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the proposed law, the SMAC will be empowered to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Conduct investigations into violations of safety and accountability standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Impose penalties and sanctions on erring platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
– Levy fines of up to \u20b110 million against violators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Towards a Safer Digital Space<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercado-Revilla underscored that the creation of SMAC is a proactive step toward building a safer, more responsible digital environment for Filipinos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis initiative is about protecting our citizens, especially the youth, from harmful online practices while ensuring that social media remains a space for free expression, innovation, and community building,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Social Media Accountability Act is now under deliberation in Congress, with hopes of garnering broad support from lawmakers, civil society, and digital rights advocates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Cavite, Philippines – Cavite Representative Lani Mercado-Revilla has filed the Social Media Accountability Act (House Bill 7300), a landmark measure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cavite","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n