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.

Platform representatives acknowledged that some sellers attempt to bypass these systems by disguising vapes as other products. Estiller described listings that use images of items such as T-shirts while including certain keywords associated with vapes in the product page.

Hans-Segovia stated that bad actors continue to test safeguards across online platforms by misrepresenting products or disguising listings. Officials noted that users can also circumvent age verification in some cases by simply changing their birth year during sign-up or using a basic “I am 18” checkbox that offers limited verification.

Health Data and Calls for Stronger Measures Dr.

Celia Flor Brilliantes of the Baguio City Health Office presented findings from the 2023 Youth Tobacco Survey. The data showed that 22 percent of local students aged 13 to 15 had tried vaping, 12.5 percent currently use it, and 37 percent said they could buy vapes easily despite regulations.

Reading a statement from Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Brilliantes said children continue vaping in school toilets and stairwells, including products ordered online, and that no local ordinance can stop a legal product sold through a national digital marketplace.

” Maddumba said that even with regulations, if platforms cannot keep pace then the most logical step is to simplify enforcement by imposing a total ban. The Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration, and civil society groups are calling for a total vape ban in the Philippines.

The committee is scheduled to hold another technical working group to finalize its report on the matter.