Korea weighs social media curbs, possible ban for minors 14 and under

Korea's media watchdog said Thursday it is considering a social media restriction on children aged 14 years old and younger amid escalating concerns over excessive use of such platforms.

Kim Jong-cheol, the chairman of the Korea Media and Communications Commission, made the remarks at a policy briefing at the Blue House, emphasizing that excessive social media use by teenagers is a worldwide 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," Kim said.

"There are around seven related pieces of legislation proposed at the National Assembly," he added.

Kim, however, acknowledged the issue should be approached carefully, recalling the Shutdown Law in 2011, which prohibited minors under 16 from accessing online games from midnight to 6 a.m.

The decade-old legislation was eventually scrapped in January 2022, following calls that the law infringes upon people's basic rights and negatively affects the game and culture industry.

The latest proposal from the media watchdog came as governments in other countries continue taking legislative measures to restrict children and teenagers' access to social media platforms.

The European Union said it will present legislation restricting children's access to such platforms after the summer. Australia also became the first country in the world to ban those under 16 from owning a social media account.

Yonhap