Since Australia banned children under 16 from using social media in December last year, countries around the world have been moving to restrict minors' access to social media platforms. [Getty Images]
Since Australia banned children under 16 from using social media in December last year, countries around the world have been moving to restrict minors' access to social media platforms. [Getty Images]

Creating a social media account may soon become a kind of "digital coming-of-age" milestone for minors. After the French parliament passed a bill on July 21 restricting young people's use of social media, Japan has decided to begin its own discussions on the matter. A debate that started in Europe and parts of Southeast Asia is spreading quickly.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday that the Japanese government will formally begin discussions on protective measures for children who use social media. The Children and Families Agency — a central government body established to handle policy on children and families — plans to convene an expert panel on Aug. 30 to examine a blanket age restriction on social media users and draft an interim report.

The Japanese government had previously been reluctant to impose a blanket age restriction on social media use, reasoning that children regard social media as a space for communication and that a unilateral ban based on age would be too heavy-handed. An earlier expert panel meeting held by the Children and Families Agency late last month focused primarily on requiring social media platforms to verify users' ages, and age-based bans were not on the agenda at that time.

There are now indications, however, that age restrictions could enter the discussion at the Aug. 30 meeting, as a string of countries have recently introduced blanket usage limits tied to users' ages.

A source who spoke to the Yomiuri said the draft interim report would include language to the effect that "it is important for the government to continue ongoing discussions and build child protection measures suited to the actual situation." The government remains cautious about a blanket age restriction. The plan is to leave the door open to such a restriction in the draft report, monitor foreign cases and domestic public opinion, and then decide what level of regulation to include in a final report due by the end of this year.

Foreign precedents are expected to carry the most weight in shaping that decision. Since Australia banned children under 16 from social media in December last year, similar restrictions have emerged elsewhere. New Zealand followed immediately, and Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates have also introduced age limits. In the United Kingdom, children under 16 are barred from social media entirely, while those aged 16 and 17 are prohibited from using it during late-night hours. Canada is pursuing legislation to block social media accounts for those under 16, and Greece has decided to adopt a similar measure starting in 2027.

The French Senate also passed a bill this month restricting minors' social media use, and from September children under 15 will be barred from social media platforms. The EU is also considering limiting social media access for those under 13.

The push to restrict minors from social media is being driven by child protection concerns. There is growing awareness that graphic content on social media harms young users and that platforms have become breeding grounds for school violence and cyberbullying — the online harassment of specific individuals. Controversy has also arisen over claims that social media platforms design their algorithms to expose users to highly addictive content in order to maximize time spent on the platform. A research team at Weill Cornell Medicine tracked more than 4,200 adolescents over four years and found that heavy social media users showed 25 percent higher aggression than those who used it less.

Concerns also extend to the effects of children's social media use on mental health and brain development, the Yomiuri reported. The Japanese government has concluded that the existing Act on Development of an Environment that Provides Safe and Secure Internet Use for Young People offers insufficient protection, and the Children and Families Agency has been discussing what changes to the law are needed.


kate01@heraldcorp.com