South Korea may ban children under 14 from using social media

South Korean authorities are considering the possibility of imposing restrictions on the use of social networks by children aged 14 and under. This was reported by the Yonhap news agency on July 16.

"We are gradually considering a plan to limit the possibility of creating social media accounts for children under the age of 14, as well as to restrict access to design and algorithms that may contribute to the excessive use of such platforms by teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19," said Kim Jong Chol, chairman of the South Korean Media and Communications Commission..

According to him, the excessive use of social networks by teenagers has become a global problem. In addition, about seven bills related to this initiative are already being considered in the National Assembly of South Korea.

South Korean authorities have expressed concern about the excessive use of social media by teenagers and children. The agency noted that similar measures are being prepared in other countries.

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The Independent newspaper reported on July 15 that the UK authorities plan to introduce nighttime restrictions on social networks for teenagers. A voluntary night curfew will be imposed on 16- and 17-year-olds, which by default will block access to applications from 00:00 to 06:00.

On July 2, the Euractiv portal noted that the European Commission (EC) will announce plans to introduce pan-European age restrictions on the use of social networks in early autumn 2026. In addition, on June 18, the UAE government adopted a resolution according to which children under the age of 15 are prohibited from using social networks. Platforms are now required to implement effective and reliable age verification mechanisms.