CHIZ SEEKS RESTRICTION OF HARMFUL INTERNET
MATERIALS TO MINORS

With the unhampered access and widespread use of the internet today, Sen. Chiz Escudero wants to regulate internet access by Filipino children through a bill he filed at the Senate.

Escudero explained that his proposed Child Internet Safety and Protection Act of 2008 seeks to prohibit and restrict the access of harmful materials in the Internet by minors.

"If the Internet already serves as a medium that caters pornography, violence and other immorality to minors, it is submitted that proper regulation should be implemented," he said.

Senate Bill No. 2098 wants all commercial establishments or public Internet points offering Internet services to provide filtered "clean feed" Internet service to users below 18 years old.

"The State shall encourage and make widely accessible the use of similar filtering products for households to enable parents and guardians to block web pages that are considered unsuitable to children," he said.

Under the said bill, Internet cafes and establishments offering Internet service must only use Internet filtering software duly approved and prescribed by the Child Internet Safety Council (CISC) which will be created under the proposed Child Internet Safety and Protection Act of 2008.

Functions of the CISC which will be under the Department of Social Welfare and Development and with representatives from other concerned government offices include determining harmful websites and Internet contents to which children's access shall be restricted and conduct regular inspections of establishments offering Internet service.

A fine of P50, 000 will be imposed for violators. This will be doubled to P100, 000 if they committed the offense for the second time.

Commission of the offense for the third time will face violators a fine of P200, 000 and revocation of their business permits and licenses.