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LettersAs global bans tighten, Hong Kong must act against social media harm
Readers discuss the growing awareness of the risks teenagers face, the arrest of a lawmaker for drink-driving, and the heatwave in Europe
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The recent case of a 13-year-old girl in Tseung Kwan O who stole HK$380,000 from her mother’s safe to buy virtual gifts and tip live-streaming content creators on RedNote has again drawn public attention on teenage social media usage. It makes me wonder: do teenagers have sufficient maturity to use social media?
Australia strictly prohibits minors under 16 from holding accounts of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, X and more. Authorities now plan to double the maximum penalty for companies breaching the law to A$99 million (US$68.6 million).
The UK is going further. The government plans to introduce a similar ban for under-16s by spring next year, while also blocking potentially risky features like live-streaming and communication with strangers. These restrictions will apply to a range of online services, including on gaming sites. AI chatbots which simulate intimate relationships with under-18 users will also be forbidden.
France and Denmark are also introducing similar bans, among other jurisdictions.
Such legislation address the potential downsides of adolescent social media usage. Without proper parental guidance, teenagers risk being exposed to inappropriate content including pornography and violence. Just last month, Philippine authorities temporarily blocked the violent video game Gorebox after they discovered the 14-year-old suspect in a fatal school shooting was an avid player.
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