TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – South Korea’s media watchdog is reviewing regulations on social media restrictions against children under 14 amid growing concerns about excessive use of digital platforms.
South Korea’s Communications and Media Commission Chair Kim Jong-cheol said excessive social media use among teenagers has become a global problem.
“We are reviewing, in phases, a plan to restrict children under 14 years of age from creating accounts on social media platforms, and limiting exposure to designs and algorithms that could encourage excessive use of such platforms for teens aged 14 to 19,” Jong-cheol said while presenting the matter at the South Korean Presidential Office on Thursday, as quoted by ANTARA.
He said there are currently around seven related bills being discussed in the National Assembly.
However, Jong-cheol acknowledged the need for careful consideration of the policy, given the experience of implementing the Shutdown Law in 2011. The law prohibits children under 16 from playing online games between midnight and 6:00 a.m. local time.
After drawing criticism for violating citizens’ basic rights and negatively impacting the gaming and cultural industries in South Korea, the law was finally repealed in January 2022.
The latest proposal to restrict children’s access to social media comes at a time when several countries are beginning to limit teenagers’ and children’s use of social media.
The European Union proposed regulations restricting children’s access to social media after the summer. Meanwhile, Australia became the first country to ban children under 16 from having social media accounts.
Read: EU Experts Urge Social Media Restrictions for Kids Under 13
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