Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
As of January 2025, the average Filipino spends 3 hours and 34 minutes per day on 
social media, well above the global average. Additionally, 83.8% of the population (97.5 
million individuals) are internet users, and 93.1% of internet users actively engage with social 
media platforms (DataReportal, 2025). 
This massive digital footprint underscores the influence that online platforms have in 
shaping societal narratives, commerce, and even national security. Often branded as the “petri 
dish of disinformation”, the Philippines has been described by the Friedrich Naumann 
Foundation for Freedom as alarmingly losing the war against disinformation: platforms 
remaining largely unaccountable for the spread of falsehoods such as unverified claims about 
cures and vaccines circulated widely, contributing to public confusion, vaccine hesitancy, and 
delayed health-seeking behavior amidst the pandemic.  
Despite their immense reach, many of these platforms operate without a formal, local 
accountability mechanism. This creates challenges in enforcing data privacy, moderating 
harmful content, and ensuring that platforms respond to legitimate concerns of Filipino users 
and public institutions. At present, there is no centralized mechanism requiring large-scale 
digital platforms to register or disclose their governance practices. 
This bill proposes a transparency-based framework for large-scale platforms with at 
least one million monthly Filipino users. It mandates registration with the Department of 
Information and Communications Technology (DICT), appointment of a Philippine-based 
representative, submission of regular transparency reports, and cooperation with government 
agencies for lawful enforcement. Platforms that fail to comply may face access restrictions, 
administrative sanctions, or legal referrals under relevant laws. 
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Importantly, this measure is crafted without prejudice to freedom of expression. It 
does not authorize censorship, content takedown based on opinion, or suppression of lawful 
discourse. Rather, it ensures that platforms exercising outsized influence over public 
information act with transparency, accountability, and a duty of care to the Filipino public. 
The proposed law upholds the right of every Filipino to a safe, transparent, and 
responsive online environment, while ensuring that digital innovation continues to flourish. 
 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
 
STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
Nineteenth Congress 
Third Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE STELLA LUZ A. QUIMBO 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR THE 
REGISTRATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF LARGE-SCALE 
ONLINE PLATFORMS, PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY IN DIGITAL 
GOVERNANCE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Tile. — This Act shall be known as the “Social Media and 
Platform Accountability Act of 2024.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is the policy of the State to foster a secure, 
inclusive, and transparent digital environment. The State recognizes the profound societal 
influence of large-scale digital platforms and seeks to ensure that such platforms operate 
responsibly, without compromising freedom of expression, data protection, or digital 
innovation. 
SECTION 3. Scope and Coverage. — This Act shall apply to all Digital Platforms 
that: 
(a) Operate in or are accessible in the Philippines; and
(b) Have one million (1,000,000) or more monthly active users located within the
Philippines.
SECTION 4. Definition of Terms. — 
(a) Digital Platform refers to any web-based or mobile application that allows
users to create, share, view, or interact with digital content or with other users.
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(b)​Large-Scale Platform refers to any Digital Platform with at least one million 
(1,000,000) monthly active users in the Philippines.​
 
(c)​Regulatory Authority refers to the Department of Information and 
Communications Technology (DICT) or any other agency designated by the 
President.​
 
(d)​Local Representative refers to a natural or juridical person based in the 
Philippines, authorized to act on behalf of the platform in legal and regulatory 
matters.​
 
(e)​Transparency Report refers to a publicly disclosed summary of a platform’s 
content moderation activities, algorithmic decision-making, and risk 
mitigation practices. 
​
 
SECTION 5. Registration. — All Large-Scale Platforms shall: 
(a)​Register with the DICT through its designated registration system within 
ninety (90) days of reaching the threshold user base; 
(b)​Appoint a Local Representative who shall serve as the official point of contact 
for the platform in the Philippines; coordinate responses to lawful government 
inquiries; represent the platform in any regulatory proceedings or 
consultations; and submit a description of its content governance policies, 
including automated decision-making or profiling operations, if any; 
(c)​Submit and maintain updated documentation on their content moderation 
policies, data governance practices, and automated decision-making systems, 
if any; 
(d)​If applicable, provide proof of compliance with NPC Circular No. 2022-04, 
including registration of their Data Processing System and designation of a 
Data Protection Officer. 
 
Failure to register in accordance with this section shall result in removal or blocking 
of access to the platform in the Philippines, without prejudice to other enforcement actions 
under this Act or existing laws. 
 
​
SECTION 6. Powers and Functions of the Department of Information and 
Communications Technology. — The DICT shall have the power to: 
(a)​Conduct active investigations and compliance checks of platforms operating in 
the Philippines; 
(b)​Undertake technical monitoring to detect unregistered platforms serving 
Filipino users; 
(c)​Verify accuracy of submitted registration data and take appropriate actions in 
case of false or misleading information; 
(d)​Coordinate with other government agencies, internet service providers, and 
regulatory bodies to implement takedown measures or other interventions for 
non-compliant platforms. 
 
SECTION 7. Transparency and Public Accountability. — Registered platforms 
shall publish biannual transparency reports that include: 
(a)​Number of user content removals, disaggregated by type; 
(b)​Number of user reports and appeals; 


(c)​Description of algorithms or processes used for moderation and content 
curation; 
(d)​Disclosures on data sharing and advertising practices affecting Filipino users. 
 
SECTION 8. Enforcement. — The DICT shall have the authority to impose the 
following enforcement measures against platforms that fail to register or that violate the 
provisions of this Act: 
(a)​Takedown or access restriction orders, in coordination with internet service 
providers, web hosting providers, and other technical intermediaries, for 
platforms found operating without registration or repeatedly violating 
compliance requirements; 
(b)​Administrative fines or penalties, in accordance with the guidelines to be 
issued by the DICT, subject to due process; 
(c)​Suspension of eligibility to receive government advertisements or participate 
in official public information campaigns, pending full compliance with this 
Act; 
(d)​Referral to appropriate law enforcement or regulatory agencies, including but 
not limited to: 
(i)​
the National Privacy Commission (NPC) for violations related to data 
processing, profiling, or failure to register under NPC Circular No. 
2022-04 and the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (R.A. No. 10173); 
(ii)​
the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and/or 
the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for 
offenses punishable under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 
(R.A. No. 10175), including cyber libel, identity theft, or unauthorized 
access; 
(iii)​
the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the National Bureau of 
Investigation (NBI) for violations constituting criminal offenses under 
any existing laws, including but not limited to the Revised Penal Code, 
E-Commerce Act of 2000 (R.A. No. 8792), or other relevant statutes; 
(e)​Publication of non-compliant entities through an official DICT registry or 
advisory bulletin to inform the public and relevant sectors. 
 
In cases where the continued operation of an unregistered or non-compliant platform 
poses an imminent risk to public safety, national security, or the integrity of the digital 
ecosystem, the DICT may issue immediate preventive action, subject to post-action 
justification and review. 
 
SECTION 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Unless otherwise specified, 
the DICT, and NPC, in consultation and coordination with appropriate national government 
agencies, civil society organizations, nongovernment organizations, private sector 
representatives, and other stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations 
for the effective implementation of this Act no later than ninety (90) days upon the effectivity 
of this Act. 
 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act or its application 
to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the Act, or the application of 
such provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby. 
 
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SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, orders, regulations, and 
issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, are hereby 
repealed, amended, or modified accordingly. 
 
SECTION 12. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general circulation. 
 
 
Approved,