The Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) said on Thursday that platforms such as Facebook and Instagram should take greater responsibility for protecting children and teenagers from features that could encourage excessive use.
The regulator’s position comes as South Korea considers tighter rules governing how social media platforms operate and deliver content to minors, amid growing concerns over screen time, algorithm-driven recommendations and their potential impact on young users.
The KMCC said in a statement to Reuters that social media companies needed to strengthen their responsibility toward children and teenagers. It also pointed to seven bills currently pending in the country’s parliament that are aimed at improving protections for young people online.
The commission said it “believes that in order to create an environment in which Korean youth can use social networking services safely, it is necessary to strengthen social media providers' responsibility to protect minors.”
Meta Faces Pressure Over Youth Protection
The comments followed landmark settlements announced in the United States on Wednesday, under which Meta agreed to pay as much as $18 billion and introduce a range of changes to Facebook and Instagram.
Several U.S. states had accused the company of designing products and features that contributed to youth addiction and negatively affected mental health.
Among the proposed changes are limits on usage time, restrictions on notifications, stronger age-verification measures and an option for users to access non-algorithmic feeds.
The measures also include hiding “likes” and similar engagement indicators from younger users, in an effort to reduce some of the social pressures associated with platform engagement.
South Korea’s regulator said it would particularly welcome the global application of measures targeting features that can encourage excessive use.
The KMCC highlighted algorithm-based content recommendations, visible engagement metrics such as likes and push notifications designed to bring users back to platforms.
The regulator said such measures “would ideally be applied to youth users worldwide as well.”
South Korea Considers Tighter Restrictions
South Korea has increasingly focused on the impact of social media and digital platforms on children and teenagers, particularly as concerns grow over excessive screen time and the role of recommendation algorithms in keeping young users engaged.
At a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung in July, KMCC Chairman Kim Jong-cheol said the regulator was examining phased restrictions on social media use among minors.
The proposals include possible limits on algorithms and other platform features considered capable of encouraging excessive use among teenagers.
Kim disclosed that seven related legislative proposals were already before the National Assembly. A KMCC spokesperson said on Thursday that the commission supports efforts to move the bills forward through public discussions and consultations.
Among the measures being considered is a proposal to restrict social media access for users below the age of 14.
For teenagers between 14 and 19, the proposals would seek to limit algorithms and other platform features that could encourage excessive or compulsive use.
Part of a Wider Global Debate
South Korea’s proposed approach reflects a broader international effort to strengthen online protections for children and teenagers as governments grapple with the growing influence of social media in young people's lives.
Supporters of stricter regulation argue that platforms should bear greater responsibility for preventing harmful or addictive patterns of use, particularly where algorithms and engagement-driven features are involved.
However, restrictions on minors’ access to social media have also attracted criticism, particularly over privacy, age verification and the practical challenges of enforcing such rules.
For South Korea, the debate is increasingly centred on finding a balance between allowing young people to participate in the digital world and ensuring that social media platforms do not use features that could encourage excessive engagement among minors.