Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

298

3 BILL NO.

HOUS

Introduced by: REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO, SR.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The need for a law promoting for the accountability of owners and members of social
media websites through a rigid account registration process is crucial to our efforts in curbing
criminal activities and spread of fake news and harmful contents on social media.

The responsibility of social media users will be enhanced, as anonymity will be reduced
considerably. This can deter hate speech, cyberbullying, deliberate misinformation, and other
harmful and malicious content, as users are less likely to engage in such behavior if their
identity is known and traceable.

A clear identification process facilitates the identification of perpetrators of online
offenses, enabling victims to pursue legal recourse more effectively. This can provide a
stronger sense of justice and encourage responsible online content.

This measure will also encourage social media platforms to implement more robust
content moderation policies and take quicker action against abusive accounts, as they would
have a clearer understanding of their user base.

Purther, the rigorous registration can help in minimizing the proliferation of fake
accounts and bots, which are often used to spread spam, fake news that manipulate public
opinion, and those who engage in fraudulent activities. An authentic users base contributes to
a safer online environment.

While concerns about privacy and freedom of speech and expression must be carefully
considered, the potential benefits of increased accountability, safety, and trust in the online
environment justify the need of this measure.

In view of the foregoing, the immediate approval of this measure is hereby earnestly
sought.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

298

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: REP. SALVADOR A. PLEYTO, SR.

AN ACT PROMOTING THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF OWNERS AND MEMBERS,
OF SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES AND PLATFORMS THROUGH A RIGID
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title — This Act shall be known as the “Social Media Membership
Accountability Act of 2025”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy ~ The purpose of this Act is to promote secure and
accountable interactions, especially concerning online transactions between individuals and
both public and private entities.

To achieve this goal, it is established as state policy that operators and members of social
media websites and similar online platforms must validate the identities of their users. This
requirement aims to ensure that these platforms are not used for criminal activities or other
offenses online.

SECTION 3. Electronic Identification Requirement - The operators of social media
websites and other similar online platforms, hereinafter referred to as operators, shall require
its users to submit a valid proof of identification prior to registration of their services.

For Philippine-base users, government-issued identification cards, including barangay
certification of identity shall be sufficient proof of identification for purposes of this Act. Work
and school identification cards may also be used provided they reflect the actual name of the
person so identified.

For existing members, the operators shall require that each member submit a valid
Publication — the act of uploading content on an online intermediary with an intent to circulate
particular information to the public


SECTION 4. Non-prohibited Acts — Nothing in this Act shall prevent individuals from
doing the following:

1. To have multiple accounts on the same website
2. Use of site allowable usernames different from their actual name

SECTION 5. Analytics — The operators should allow for analysis of their site data
based on the actual identity of users regardless of the number of accounts that they use.

SECTION 6. Disclosure of Real Identity — The identity and other personal information
of users shall not be disclosed to third parties except upon lawful order of the courts of law or
law enforcement agencies.

All personal information on the website are subject to R.A. No. 10173 or the Data Privacy
Act of 2013 and other privacy laws.

SECTION 7. Penalty Clause ~ If a person files a lawsuit involving any social media
account, and the social media provider fails to identify and authenticate the account owner, the
social media provider shall be held equally liable of the penalties imposed herein:

a) Fifty thousand pesos (Php 50,000.000) in fines or fifteen (15) days of community
service, or both. For creating and using social media account that is not linked to valid
identification card number provided by the government to each individual.

b) One hundred thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00) in fines or ninety (90) days in prison,
or both, for creating and using social media account for the purpose of performing
acts of bullying, acts of defamation, libelous and malicious acts, and trade of illegal
drugs, weapons and firearms, whether or not such account is linked to a valid
identification card number provided by the government to each individual.

A person who registered as a user on a social media website or other similar online
platforms using a falsified proof of identification shall suffer the penalty of a fine of
not less than one hundred thousand pesos (Php 100,000.00) or imprisonment for a
period of not less than six months to not more than six years, or both, at the discretion
of the court.

SECTION 8. _Separability Clause — If for any reason any provision of this Act is declared
or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions not otherwise affected shall remain valid and

CTION 9. Repealing Clause.- All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,
ordinances, rules and regulation, and other issuances or part thereof which are inconsistent with
this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,