Call for Meta's teen protection changes to apply globally
Measures proposed by Meta to curb potentially addictive features for young users should ideally be applied worldwide, South Korea's media regulator has said.
The European Commission is awaiting Meta's proposal to implement changes aimed at limiting the addictive features of its social networks, according to a spokesperson. Governments worldwide are pushing to curb children's access to harmful online content, with Australia implementing the world's first ban on social media for children under 16 last year.
Ireland's Department of Communications revealed ongoing investigations into potential breaches of children's online protection obligations by certain social media platforms. The EU is preparing legislation to enhance child online protection, set to be announced in the coming months. Ireland's government favors EU-level implementation of social media restrictions, emphasizing the importance of this issue during the country's EU Presidency.
Meta has been charged by the EU with breaching technology rules, specifically regarding autoplay and infinite scroll features, with regulators demanding changes to prevent fines. South Korea's media regulator urged Meta to apply its proposed measures globally, citing seven bills in the country's parliament targeting online youth protection.
The US settlement with Meta, which may reach $18 billion, mandates adjustments such as time limits, notification restrictions, age verification, algorithm-free feeds, and hiding likes for younger users. South Korea's regulator emphasized the need for Meta to strengthen responsibility in protecting minors worldwide, particularly concerning addictive content recommendations and engagement metrics.
The UK expects Meta's protections for teenagers to be applicable in Britain, while Poland's digital affairs minister requested a €250m fine on Meta and called for immediate introduction of effective tools to eliminate scams and illegal applications. Australian regulators praised Meta's move to restrict teenagers' social media use, citing the country's world-leading action and the participation of over 20 other nations.
In the US, social media companies continue to face numerous lawsuits alleging knowingly addicting children and causing mental health crises, including anxiety, depression, and suicide.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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