Legislation among options to regulate minors’ social media use: justice minister
Introducing legislation to protect minors by regulating social media use is among the options on the table, Hong Kong’s justice minister has said, after the latest policy address unveiled plans to create a task force to review the situation. Speaking to the South China Morning Post and other media outlets on Wednesday, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok dismissed concerns that such measures…
Justice Minister Paul Lam Ting-kwok has hinted at the possibility of introducing legislation to regulate minors' social media use, following Hong Kong's government announcement of a task force to review the matter. Speaking to local media, Lam dismissed concerns that such measures could violate individual rights and freedoms, stating that the goal was to protect children from undesirable content such as pornography or violent ideas.
The task force, led by the Department of Justice, would assess the associated risks of minors' usage of social media and AI platforms and determine if legislative or administrative changes were necessary. Lam acknowledged that there could be various ways to encourage proper social media use under supervision, including soft law, guidelines, and education.
He also noted that the government would draw lessons from other countries' experiences, such as Australia's recent social media ban for minors under 16. However, he emphasized that any legislation would comply with basic rights outlined in Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
