Legislated accountability

After decades of being “invincible,” the ills of social media, mobile technology platforms, etc. are now under attack by the good guys, starting with efforts to protect the young and vulnerable from the damage caused by unregulated use of mobile phones, games, apps, platforms and the like.

- CITO BELTRAN

Over the last three months of 2025, I began keeping notes of articles and news items related to regulation and restriction on mobile phones, Facebook, TikTok and IG.

Today, it has become clear that governments, schools, parents and authorities around the world are pushing back against the impunity and invincibility of technology and social media using legislation and regulation.

What first got my attention was an article in the Economic Times back in October 2025 that reported on how China had tightened the screws on online influencers.

China passed a law requiring online influencers to prove their official qualifications before creating social media content on sensitive topics like medicine, law, education and finance.

The Cyberspace Administration of China was quoted as saying the law was made to protect people from misleading content and harmful advice available online.

The law sparked debates on limiting creativity and speech, but no one focused on the personal and financial damage quack doctors, scammers and self-styled experts have done. The case is even worse in the Philippines, that claims to have cyber libel laws but no consistent regulatory enforcement.

In November 2025, I came across a post from The Brain Maze about how Denmark passed a new law banning children aged 15 and under from using social media. The goal is to protect kids from mental health risks like anxiety and addiction caused by online exposure.