Weibo will stop letting kids under 14 register new accounts
It’s also creating a kids-only version of the app, like Facebook’s Messenger Kids
Soon, Chinese kids younger than 14 won’t be able to sign up for the country’s most popular blogging platform.
Starting in November, Weibo will stop letting minors under 14 years old register new accounts, in order to create a “clean, healthy, civilized and orderly” environment, and to protect minors’ safety on the internet.
How Weibo became China’s most popular blogging platform
The move will affect new accounts. But Weibo didn’t say what they’ll do about existing accounts held by minors.
Weibo is now giving popular users the right to censor other users
Whenever a big move like this happens in China, people always wonder what triggered the change. There doesn’t seem to be any clear signs of Weibo falling foul of the authorities, but at the same time, tech companies often self-censor to stay safe.
And given that it comes amid growing concern by authorities over social content for minors, it may have been a wise move.
As for the new Weibo app for minors, they haven’t revealed what it will look like -- only saying it will “offer content and activities that are appropriate for minors”.
But that in itself triggers more concerns about social media services targeted at children.
Facebook found itself under fire after doing something similar last December. Facebook doesn’t allow users under 13 on the platform (though, unlike Weibo, they don’t ask for proof of age), so for those users they launched a separate product: Messenger Kids.
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