Meta in talks with Seoul on social media restrictions for children
Philip Chua, Meta's Asia-Pacific general manager for product public policy, gives a briefing on the company's plans to restrict social media use by children during a "Screen Smart" roundtable at Meta's office in southern Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said Thursday it is in talks with the Korean government on measures to limit children's use of social media.
Philip Chua, Meta's Asia-Pacific general manager for product public policy, made the remarks during a "Screen Smart" roundtable in Seoul.
He said Meta has been discussing with the Korean government what measures would be appropriate to protect teenagers from online harm on social media platforms.
"Teenagers use many different apps, so no single company can provide the entire solution. Youth safety needs to be addressed across the industry, with consistent, age-appropriate standards that apply throughout the app ecosystem," Chua said.
He mentioned measures such as limiting children's use of Facebook and Instagram to two hours a day and restricting their access to the platforms during late-night hours.
"Meta has not waited for regulation. We have built Teen Accounts, introduced strong safety protections by default and completed the rollout for teens in Korea. We will continue to refine these protections and work with policymakers, parents, experts, and industry partners to find effective solutions," he said.
YouTube and TikTok are not participating in the global movement to tighten online safety measures for children, and Meta is considering reducing the daily limit to one hour per application, he said.
But Chua opposed blanket restrictions on social media, saying such measures could have unintended consequences. He added any restrictions should allow parents to intervene when necessary.
A growing number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia, have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions for children's access to social media. Korea is among countries considering similar measures.