A draft decree being considered by Vietnam’s government will prohibit social media users under 16 from posting content or commenting or reacting to others’ posts, joining a global trend to limit access to social media by children, a Reuters report said.
The proposed rules would mandate that social media accounts for kids under 16 must be registered with the information of a parent or legal guardian, who would have to supervise the content that is seen and time spent on the platforms.
The draft decree also requires social media companies to implement technical measures to establish whether a user is a child and to ensure the distribution of age-appropriate content.
The main goal is not to ban children’s use of social networks and not to over-regulate their use of these networks, but to provide children who use social network services with an appropriate environment when they use these networks and protect them from inappropriate risks, Deputy Culture Minister Phan Tam said during the meeting on July 23 to discuss the new rules.
The draft decree also mandates maximum privacy protection for child accounts on platforms and a proactive measure to detect, warn and block access to content related to violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide and similar harmful content.
The proposal has been inspired by growing concern among governments around the world about online safety and the effect of social media and harmful content on the mental health of children.
On July 21, the French parliament passed a law preventing children under 15 years old from using social media. Australia was the first country to ban it, and other countries are following.
In addition to social media, the draft decree introduces additional measures for banning online gaming for minors in Vietnam.
Game operators will be required to confirm that users are of an appropriate age; under-16s have to be registered by a parent or guardian and limited to a maximum of 60 minutes per day of playing time at the same operator for games offered by that operator, it said.
The draft decree has not yet been finalised and could be revised before adoption.
