Philippines: Introduced Online and Social Media Membership Accountability Act (HB No. 129)

On 30 June 2022, the Online and Social Media Membership Accountability Act was Introduced to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The Act would mandate the authentication of social media and online accounts in the Philippines by requiring all users to register their accounts using a valid government-issued identification or a barangay certificate in order to effectively combat cyberbullying, harassment, online scams, libel, and illegal activities like drug trafficking and prostitution. Under the Act, social media platforms would be required to verify the identities of their users at the point of registration. Public and private entities must also verify their representatives' identities using the same process while being allowed to create multiple accounts under one ID. Lastly, the Act would stipulate penalties on social media platforms if they fail to authenticate users who are later involved in legal cases. If an account is used for illegal activities such as cyberbullying, defamation, or drug trading, the responsible individual may face fines or imprisonment. In cases where the platform cannot verify the account owner, it may share liability with the offending party.