South Korea mulls social media ban for children under 14

South Korea is considering banning children aged 14 and under from using social media platforms.

South Korean Korea Media and Communications Commission Chairman Kim Jong-cheol said Thursday said that the watchdog is "reviewing, in phases, a plan to restrict children under 14 years of age from creating accounts on social media platforms, and limiting exposure to designs and algorithms that could encourage excessive use of such platforms for teens aged 14 to 19," according to Yonhap news agency.

Speaking at a policy briefing at the presidential palace, Cheong Wa Dae, Kim said excessive social media use among teenagers is a global problem.

"There are around seven related pieces of legislation proposed at the National Assembly," he added.

The chairman, however, urged caution, citing the 2011 Shutdown Law, which banned children under 16 from online gaming between midnight and 6 a.m. It was repealed in 2022 after criticism that it infringed on individual rights and hurt the gaming industry.

The development comes as several countries have introduced or are planning restrictions on teenagers' access to social media.

The UK government announced Thursday that it will introduce default overnight curfews and limit addictive social media features for 16- and 17-year-olds.

The EU said it will present legislation after the summer to restrict children's access to social media platforms.

Earlier this year, Indonesia began enforcing restrictions on social media accounts for children under 16.

Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under 16 from holding a social media account in December 2025.