[Image created using generative AI]
[Image created using generative AI]

By Park Hye-won, The Herald Business

The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has had its age rating on the Google Play Store changed to "not available for minors" in South Korea.

According to industry sources Wednesday, Google Play recently raised X's rating from "16 and older" to "not available for minors." The factors cited for the classification include "intense violence," "user interaction" and "in-app purchases."

However, X's rating on Apple's App Store remains listed as "15 and older."

Age ratings on Google Play are determined based on a content questionnaire submitted by app developers and standards set by the International Age Rating Coalition. Ratings can be adjusted afterward depending on the nature of in-app content or review outcomes. The specific reason behind this latest adjustment has not been officially confirmed.

Industry observers, however, say the controversy over exposure to sexually explicit and violent content on the X platform may have been a factor.

X has consistently faced criticism over harmful content, including sexual exploitation material, non-consensual intimate images and violent posts. The platform's AI chatbot Grok has also been embroiled in controversy over the generation and spread of inappropriate images.


klee@heraldcorp.com