Hong Kong Weighs Law To Regulate Minors' Social Media Use

Hong Kong’s justice minister has said the government is considering legislation as one possible route to protect minors by regulating their use of social media, following a policy address pledge to set up a dedicated review task force.

Task force to examine risks

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok made the remarks while speaking to the South China Morning Post and other media outlets on Wednesday.

The comments came after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address on September 16, in which the city leader announced that the government would establish a dedicated task force to look at minors’ social media use.

According to the policy address, the interdepartmental group will be spearheaded by the Department of Justice.

The group will review the associated risks of minors’ use of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

It will also assess whether legislative and administrative changes are needed.

Lam rejects rights concerns

Lam dismissed concerns that measures to regulate minors’ social media use could infringe on individual rights and freedoms.

He emphasised that the goal was to protect children from undesirable content such as pornography.

His remarks indicate that legislation is not the only route under consideration, but is among the options on the table as the government reviews how to respond to risks linked to minors’ online activity.

The policy address framed the issue as one requiring an interdepartmental response, with the Department of Justice taking the lead in examining both social media and AI platforms used by minors.

The review matters because the government has linked possible legislative and administrative changes to the protection of children from online harms, including exposure to undesirable content.

Source: South China Morning Post