Overview
- KMCC chair nominee Kim Jong-cheol told lawmakers he would review Australia-style restrictions, prompting the regulator to clarify it is exploring options such as stronger parental consent rather than an outright ban.
- Policy discussion in Seoul has centered on usage caps for minors, with a proposal to set daily time limits stalled over fairness, practicality and fundamental-rights questions.
- Korean data show heavy teen use of major platforms, including about 4.04 million on Instagram and 2 million on TikTok, while a 2024 survey found nearly half of teenagers struggle to control their usage.
- Experts caution that hard bans are easily bypassed, citing the now-repealed Shutdown Law on gaming as a case study in circumvention and limited effectiveness.
- Australia’s law, in force since December 10, requires platforms to block under‑16s and has triggered age‑assurance rollouts, legal challenges such as Reddit’s High Court case, and parallel moves in the region including new licensing steps in Malaysia.