【环球财经】多国为何要筑未成年人社交媒体“防火墙”

Core Viewpoint - Several countries are following Australia's lead in legislating restrictions on social media use for minors, aiming to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time [1][3][4]. Group 1: Countries Taking Action - Australia has implemented a ban on social media accounts for individuals under 16, effective December 10, 2025, making it the first country to legislate such a minimum age requirement [1]. - France's National Assembly passed a bill in late January to prohibit social media use for those under 15, with plans for it to take effect by the start of the 2026 school year [1]. - The UK House of Lords approved an amendment to ban social media for those under 16, pressuring the government to adopt similar measures [1]. - Spain's Prime Minister announced plans to legislate against social media use for those under 16, while Greece is close to implementing a similar ban for those under 15 [1][2]. Group 2: Considerations Behind the Legislation - The Australian government aims to mitigate the negative impacts of social media designs that encourage prolonged use and expose minors to harmful content [3]. - A study commissioned by Australia found that 96% of children aged 10 to 15 use social media, with 70% encountering harmful content, and over half reporting experiences of cyberbullying [3]. - France's government seeks to protect minors from harmful online content and the adverse effects of social media on sleep and behavior [3]. - Spain's Prime Minister emphasized the need for government intervention to protect children from hate speech, pornography, and misinformation [3]. - Turkey's Minister highlighted the link between social media use and mental health issues in children, advocating for a protective legislative framework [4]. Group 3: Measures Being Implemented - Australia requires social media platforms to implement "reasonable measures" to prevent minors from accessing their services, utilizing various age verification technologies [5]. - The U.S. metaverse platform company has begun shutting down accounts for minors, allowing users to verify their age through identification or video [6]. - Challenges in enforcing these bans include minors creating false accounts or sharing accounts with parents, as well as potential inaccuracies in age verification technologies [6]. - Spain plans to introduce a new bill to clarify the legal responsibilities of social media platforms, including accountability for failing to remove illegal content [6].