Senate Hearing Examines E-commerce Platform Rules on Vape Sales to Minors

Representatives from major e-commerce platforms appeared before the Senate health committee on May 6 to detail their policies aimed at preventing minors from accessing e-cigarettes or vapes through online marketplaces. The hearing examined how such products reach youth despite existing regulations under Republic Act 11900, known as the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.

Shopee requires users to complete a Know Your Customer verification process that includes presenting a valid government ID and undergoing facial verification upon sign-up. Users identified as minors through this process cannot view vape-related listings, and such listings do not appear in general search results, according to Shopee Philippines public affairs officer Jaimmie Hans-Segovia.

Lazada displays a message stating that products related to vape searches cannot be sold on the platform in accordance with relevant laws and policies. John Estiller, Lazada’s head of government affairs, said any vape products currently visible on the app or website are illicit or illegal.

Meta prohibits the sale of vapes, tobacco, and nicotine products on Facebook Marketplace. The company also blocks related keyword searches, prohibits advertising that promotes their use or sale, and restricts visibility of tobacco-related content, according to Facebook Philippines’ public policy head Geo Tingson.

TikTok Shop applies similar restrictions and scans the platform for vape-related content across contacts, sharing links, location data, and attempts to direct users off the platform. The company prohibits minors from signing up and reported that it proactively removed 99.6 percent of videos violating its alcohol, tobacco, and drugs policies in the Philippines from December 20, 2025, according to Yves Gonzalez, TikTok Philippines’ head of public policy.