South Korea’s media regulator has called on Meta to apply proposed safeguards for young users across its global platforms, saying measures designed to reduce potentially addictive features should not be limited to the United States.
The Korea Media and Communications Commission said social media companies must take greater responsibility for protecting children and teenagers as governments around the world increase scrutiny of online platforms.
The regulator pointed to seven bills currently before South Korea’s parliament that seek to strengthen protections for young people using social media.
The comments followed settlements announced in the United States involving Meta, under which the company agreed to pay up to $18 billion and introduce changes to Facebook and Instagram. Several US states had accused Meta of designing features that contributed to excessive use among young people and harmed their mental health.
The proposed changes include limits on usage time, restrictions on notifications, stronger age verification, options for non-algorithmic feeds and the ability to hide engagement figures such as “likes” from younger users.
South Korea’s regulator said changes involving features that could encourage excessive use should ideally be extended to young users worldwide. It specifically cited algorithm-driven recommendations, engagement figures and push notifications that encourage people to return to social media platforms.
The country has been considering stronger oversight of social media use among minors amid concerns about excessive screen time and the influence of recommendation systems.
The debate reflects a wider international effort to address the risks children face online. Governments are also considering restrictions on the age at which young people can use social media, although privacy, enforcement and access concerns remain.
In Britain, the government expects Meta’s new protections for teenagers to apply in the UK. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said young people in Britain should not receive weaker safeguards than those being introduced in the US.
The UK also plans to introduce a social media ban for younger users next year.
Ireland has made online safety for children a priority for its upcoming presidency of the European Union. The Irish Government has supported restrictions but has indicated that it would prefer a coordinated EU-wide approach.
The European Commission has separately accused Meta of failing to properly assess the addictive risks associated with personalised recommendations, autoplay and infinite scrolling on Facebook and Instagram.
Poland’s Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has called for the European Commission to impose a €250 million fine on Meta and urged the company to strengthen measures against scams, false advertising and illegal applications.
Australia, which introduced a minimum age requirement for social media users, also welcomed Meta’s proposed changes. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the company’s actions showed that social media firms already have tools capable of protecting young users.
Meta continues to face thousands of lawsuits in the US alleging that its platforms and other social media services contributed to addiction and mental health problems among children and teenagers.
The growing international pressure suggests that protections introduced in one market could increasingly become a benchmark for how technology companies operate worldwide.
