TOKYO - Japan must strengthen the responsibilities of social media operators by requiring them to perform stricter age verification and restrict some features, but a blanket age-based ban, such as those seen in other countries, may not be appropriate, a government panel said Tuesday.
A draft report prepared by the panel of the communications ministry outlined measures to protect underage social media users, aiming to reduce youth dependency on such services to mitigate the burden on their mental and physical health.
The move comes as the widespread adoption of smartphones and social media have raised concerns over their harmful effects, including the involvement of minors in criminal activities.
Still, the panel ruled out an age-based blanket restriction, given the role of social media as an important communication tool.
Existing measures have mostly been limited to filtering services by mobile carriers to block access to harmful websites, and parental monitoring at home.
Since last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has been discussing expanding the role of social media platforms and providers of smartphone operating systems in protecting young users.
The Children and Families Agency will determine specific measures and whether legal revisions are necessary when the final report, expected by summer, is submitted.
