Amid discussions on a social media ban for minors in the Philippines, an official of messaging app Rakuten Viber said that educating them on the responsible use of the platforms might be a better option than a total banishment.
In an interview with GMA News Online, Viber Chief Product Officer Nadav Melnick pointed out that problems or possible threats online will always be present, and banning children might just force them to migrate to other means or platforms.
"I think as a society, because all---there's progress in technology, we need to concentrate on how to educate people to handle those things, rather than to try and block them,” Melnick said.
“From my experience as a dad, when I tell my kid don't do something, he will probably do it somewhere else. So we need to focus on education,” he added.
Melnick noted that he understands a government’s motive in banning social media for children, but added that he’s “not sure that’s the best approach.”
The Senate on Thursday approved the Safe Media Access and Responsible Technology for Kids in Digital Spaces or Smart Kids Act, restricting children aged 17 and below from having access to harmful digital apps and websites.
According to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the government is still studying the measure, specifically whether it will be effective or if it might make monitoring harder because children would simply hide their activity.
“Tinitignan namin kung tama ba... But there’s also one thing that comes after it na 'pag binan mo [ay] itatago nung bata. So hindi mo ngayon alam na that kid is going onto that site reading about this, is getting groomed. Maybe that's the hard question. Maybe it's better if we know kahit na they are not doing the right thing, turuan natin,” Marcos explained.
(We are looking into whether this is the right approach... But there is also the issue that if you ban it, children will just hide it. Then you won't know that a child is accessing that site, reading content, or being groomed. Maybe that's the hard question. Perhaps it's better if we know, even if they aren't doing the right thing, so we can guide them.)
Teach better decision-making
End-to-end encryption is one of the features that Viber has highlighted in its platform, emphasizing security and its “commitment to data privacy” of its users.
According to Menick, this means they do not have the ability to monitor ongoing conversations or actively flag a discussion as harmful.
He highlighted Viber’s “block” and “report” features, designed to immediately act upon users' reports, whether on scams, fraud, or abuse, among others.
“I think Viber is doing a lot of these things with the new anti-spam features that we've added throughout this year. We've added tons of things, and we're actually trying to help our users making the right decision on who to contact, what to tell them, and what not to tell them,” Melnick said.
However, even with these safeguards, the Viber executive said guided discernment and education play a crucial role.
“But this is an ongoing thing, right? There will always be some kind of problematic communication. And we have the responsibility to help users make the right decisions, but we can't do it for them,” Melnick emphasized.
Melnick noted Viber’s continuous commitment to abide by local legislation on online platforms.
“What we've seen in the past that it just transferred to a different place. So while I do agree that we need to handle that, we need to make sure that we try to reduce it as much as possible. I think the best way is in collaboration with the government rather than just blocking it,” Melnick said.
“At the end of the day… I'm a father, I want the best type of environment for my kids to grow up. So that's why regardless of any legislation, we do a lot to help our users make the right decisions,” he added.
In a press briefing, Viber reported that among its Top 10 markets, the Philippines ranks No. 1 in daily time spent on Viber and is the second fastest-growing market for the app.
Year-on-year, a 34.3% increase was observed in total paying subscribers in the Philippines, making it No. 1 globally in active paying subscribers and a top contributor to global revenue.
Ahead of the holiday season, Viber announced its upcoming partnership with the Department of Tourism, aimed at supporting local tourism businesses through Viber Business Accounts, which will make these businesses searchable within the app. —RF, GMA News