Batang Ligtas Act tightens rules for online platforms - Inquirer Technology

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on September 30 ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the Batang Ligtas Act, which would expand online child protection requirements and give authorities additional tools to investigate technology-facilitated crimes.

The measure consolidates Senate Bill No. 1819 and House Bill No. 9461 and covers online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC), as well as the recruitment of minors into violent activities.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who authored and sponsored the Senate version, said the legislation is intended to bring existing laws in line with how technology is being used to target children.

“The offense, reposed in Section 5 of the Senate measure, is complete upon the prohibited act of recruitment or inducement with the required intent, regardless of whether the child ultimately participates or the intended violent act is carried out,” Hontiveros said in plenary.

The bill would change how platforms operating in the Philippines handle cases involving child exploitation.

Digital platforms would be required to designate local legal representatives who can receive legal orders, including subpoenas, takedown requests and blocking orders. 

Covered platforms and technology entities would also have to cooperate with investigations and preserve relevant information.

The proposed framework would further introduce “safety by design” measures, including age verification and proactive blocking of child sexual abuse and exploitation material. 

These provisions would place greater responsibility on platforms to prevent and respond to illegal activity on their services rather than relying only on reports after material has appeared.

The bill would also affect how authorities investigate suspected offenses online. 

Trained law enforcement officers would receive explicit authority to conduct undercover online operations, subject to warrant requirements and safeguards against police instigation.

Officers would also be prohibited from creating or facilitating actual child sexual abuse material as part of an investigation.

The legislation would make the National Child Safety Office a permanent government body and institutionalize the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC) as a permanent law enforcement unit involving personnel from the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation.

The measure would give authorities additional tools for responding to illegal content and activities involving children online.

Takedown and blocking orders would provide mechanisms for removing or restricting access to prohibited material, while requirements to preserve information could help investigators trace activity and gather evidence from digital platforms.

The bill also extends its focus beyond sexual exploitation to the recruitment of minors into violent activities, including nihilistic violent extremism.

Under the measure, recruiting or inducing a minor into violent extremism can constitute an offense once the prohibited recruitment or inducement takes place. 

Prosecutors would not need to show that the child eventually joined an extremist group or carried out a violent act.

For the broader Philippine internet environment, the proposed law would place more responsibility on platforms to prevent, identify and respond to child exploitation and recruitment on their services. 

It would also create more formal channels for platforms and authorities to exchange information and act on suspected offenses.

The Senate passed its version of the bill 17-0 on September 21. Following ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on September 30, the measure still needs to complete the remaining steps before becoming law.

If signed by the President, the Batang Ligtas Act would change how online platforms handle child-safety risks and how authorities respond to suspected crimes involving digital services.