PhilSys verification eyed for social media accounts

Iloilo City Lone District Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda has filed a bill that would require all social media accounts in the Philippines to undergo identity verification through the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

House Bill No. 8603, or the proposed “Verified Social Media Account Act,” was filed on Monday. It seeks to link every social media account to a verified identity to curb cybercrime, online fraud, impersonation, and misinformation.

Under the measure, social media platforms operating in the country would be required to authenticate users through their PhilSys Number (PSN) or other authorized PhilSys credentials. No account may be activated unless the user’s identity has been verified.

Individuals may maintain multiple social media accounts, but each one must be linked to a verified identity through PhilSys authentication.

The bill comes amid escalating cyber threats in the country. In its explanatory note, the measure cited data from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) showing 87,595 cybercrime incidents recorded from March 2013 to October 2025.

The most frequently reported offenses include online libel, illegal access, computer-related identity theft, computer-related fraud, data interference, and system interference — many of which are facilitated through the misuse of social media platforms and anonymous digital identities.

DICT monitoring also showed that cyber incidents surged 62.44 percent in 2023, with 1,834 incidents recorded compared to 1,129 in 2022.

The bill draws parallels with the SIM Card Registration Act (Republic Act No. 11934), which required all mobile subscribers to register their SIM cards using verified personal identification.

Baronda argued that since mobile numbers are now registered identities, social media platforms — which often rely on mobile numbers for account creation — should likewise adopt stronger identity authentication mechanisms.

Social media platforms that fail to implement PhilSys verification would face administrative fines and possible restrictions on operations in the Philippines.

Individuals who use false identities or attempt to bypass verification would face fines ranging from PHP 10,000 to PHP 100,000, account suspension or termination, or both.

The DICT, the National Privacy Commission, and the Philippine Statistics Authority would jointly oversee implementation, with implementing rules and regulations to be issued within 90 days of the law’s effectivity.

The explanatory note stressed that the bill does not seek to curtail freedom of expression but rather ensures that the exercise of such freedom in digital spaces is accompanied by responsibility and accountability. All personal information collected for verification purposes would be protected under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173).

The filing comes as the DICT has been studying the implementation of a mandatory social media user verification system to combat online scams and fake accounts.

The department conducted an online policy consultation in January 2026 to discuss the proposal, though officials have indicated that verification for existing accounts may remain voluntary.

The bill also noted that countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and South Korea have adopted identity authentication requirements for users of major online platforms, while Thailand, Australia, and the United Kingdom are implementing or studying similar measures.