Vietnam is drafting new regulations that would prevent children under the age of 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting on social media platforms, as the country joins a growing global effort to limit minors' exposure to online risks.
Social media companies would be required to prohibit users under 16 from interacting with content while ensuring their accounts are registered using the details of a parent or legal guardian, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Parents would also be responsible for monitoring the content their children view and the time they spend on social media.
The proposal further requires platforms to introduce technical measures capable of identifying underage users and delivering content that is appropriate for their age.
"The primary objective is not to ban or excessively restrict children's access to social media, but rather to ensure that when children use social media services, they are placed in an age-appropriate environment and protected from inappropriate risks," deputy culture minister Phan Tam said on Thursday at a meeting to discuss the new rules.
The draft decree would also oblige platforms to apply the highest level of privacy protection to children's accounts and actively detect, warn against and block access to material involving violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide and other harmful content.
The proposed measures come amid increasing concern among governments over children's online safety and the impact of social media on young people's mental health.
Earlier this week, French lawmakers approved legislation banning children under 15 from accessing social media. Australia became the first country to introduce such a restriction, with several other nations now considering similar policies.
The draft decree also includes tighter rules for online gaming. Under the proposal, game operators would have to verify users' ages, register accounts for children under 16 through a parent or legal guardian, and limit them to a maximum of 60 minutes of gameplay per day across games offered by the same provider.
The draft has not yet been finalised and may still be amended before it is formally adopted.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov
Source: caliber.az
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