LAS Piñas Lone District Rep. Mark Anthony Santos yesterday warned that increasingly sophisticated algorithms powering social media platforms are making it more difficult for children and adolescents to avoid illicit and harmful content online—even when they never intended to search for it.
Santos said social media algorithms are designed to keep users engaged by continuously recommending content based on their online behavior, interests and interactions.
“The evolution of social media platforms’ powerful algorithms makes it more and more difficult for adolescents to avoid illicit content—even if that’s not what they were originally searching for,” said Santos, who was recently designated chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
He said the problem becomes even more alarming when these algorithms inadvertently expose minors to content involving illegal drugs, gambling, pornography, violence, self-harm and other harmful material.
“These algorithms do not know the difference between curiosity and vulnerability. Once a child clicks, watches or interacts with certain content, the system can continue feeding similar material into that child’s screen,” Santos said.
The Las Piñas lawmaker said this creates a serious challenge for parents, schools and government authorities because harmful content can reach children without them actively seeking it.
Santos said the government must recognize that the fight against illegal drugs has expanded into the digital environment, where criminal groups can exploit technology to reach potential victims.
“Drug syndicates are no longer limited to physical streets and communities. They can exploit digital platforms, fake identities, private messaging and algorithm-driven content to reach potential victims, including young people,” he said.
Law-enforcement authorities are also monitoring the use of so-called “dead drops,” a method in which illegal drugs or other items are left at a predetermined location and a photograph or message is sent to the recipient to identify where the item can be retrieved.
Santos said the method can make it more difficult for authorities to identify the individuals involved because it eliminates or reduces the need for direct, face-to-face contact.
He noted that drug-related communications may also be coordinated through messaging applications such as Messenger and Viber, as well as other social media platforms, making it more difficult for traditional law-enforcement methods to detect and intercept transactions.
Santos called on social media companies to strengthen safeguards for minors, including more effective age-verification systems, stronger parental controls, greater transparency in recommendation algorithms, and faster removal of accounts and content associated with illegal drug activities.
He also urged Congress to examine whether existing laws are sufficient to hold digital platforms accountable when their systems contribute to the exposure of minors to harmful or illicit content.
“We cannot simply tell parents to monitor their children while allowing powerful algorithms to compete for their attention 24 hours a day. The responsibility cannot rest entirely on parents. Social media companies must also do their part,” Santos said.
He said protecting children online should be treated as a national child-protection concern and not merely as a matter of regulating technology.
“Our children should not become collateral damage in the race for clicks, views and engagement. Technology must serve our children—not expose them to criminals and harmful content,” Santos said.
Santos reiterated his support for measures that would restrict social media access among children below 14 years old while imposing stronger safeguards and parental controls for adolescents aged 14 to 17.
“If we know that these platforms can influence what our children see, think and eventually do, then government has a responsibility to make sure that influence does not become a gateway to exploitation, addiction or illegal drugs,” he said.
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