How can minors be young and face high risks when they come online?

Weaving a dense protective network companion Internet access (clear and clean network environment for minors)

Xu Jun (posted by Xinhua News Agency)

He is younger when he is online, socializes more frequently, and "surfing" online is more skilled than parents. He is "opening a box" when he disagrees, some functions of smart watches are induced to be addicted, and the platform youth mode experience is poor - new phenomena and new problems involving minors' Internet use have sparked heated discussions online. A clear and clear network environment for minors, escorting the healthy growth of minors, affecting thousands of households. The more new situations and new problems are faced, the more all parties in society need to work together to weave a tight protective net.

Set rules and standards for smart terminal equipment

Some time ago, a child's smart watch was complained by parents that "built-in APP induced consumption", and the relevant departments dealt with it in accordance with the law. The company issued an announcement to remove relevant APPs and conduct investigations.

Faced with the new situation, how to manage children's smart devices? The supervision efforts have continued to increase in governance of online chaos involving minors, especially in response to new problems arising from smart devices. In July 2024, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Office launched a two-month special campaign for "Qinglang·2024 Summer Network Environment Improvement", which clarified "children's smart devices" as the focus of rectification, including the equipment's lack of strict review and control of the information content provided by third-party APPs, the existence of bad-oriented content and inducing minors to over-consumption in the name of points ranking, function unlocking, background updates, etc.

"Smart terminal products specially used for minors should have functions such as effectively identifying illegal information and information that may affect the physical and mental health of minors, protecting the personal information rights of minors, preventing minors from becoming addicted to the Internet, and facilitating guardians to perform their guardian duties." "Smart terminal product manufacturers should install minor network protection software before the product leaves the factory, or use significant means to inform users of installation channels and methods."... The "Regulations on the Protection of Minors" implemented in January 2024 stipulates the relevant requirements for smart terminal products for minors using special terms.

Xu Xun, associate professor at the School of Law of the University of International Business and Economics, said that the requirements of the "Regulations on the Protection of Network Protection of Minors" are very clear. In the next step, all departments should promptly improve relevant norms and set rules and standards for a clear and clear network environment.

Industry norms and network literacy courses must "keep up"

Creating a unified and standardized industry ecosystem will help reduce network chaos from the source. Some departments and industry organizations have made attempts. Zhang Xiaobing, deputy director of the Institute of Children and Children in China Youth Research Center, said that it is necessary to promote industry self-discipline, strengthen industry review and supervision, formulate relevant industry standards, and issue corresponding construction standards for the youth model in a classified manner.

In November 2024, the State Internet Information Office issued the "Guidelines for the Construction of Mobile Internet Minor Model", proposing an overall plan for the construction of minor model, encouraging and supporting mobile smart terminals, applications and application distribution platforms, etc., jointly participate in the construction of minor model, integrate scattered functions, integrate segmented protection, and build a solid "three-line of defense" for network protection for minors.

The "Guidelines for the Protection of Personal Information and Rights of Children's Smart Watches" formulated by the China Cyber ​​Security Industry Alliance proposes that children's watch manufacturers need to consider setting sufficient functions in the guardian control application to ensure that the guardian can appropriately control the specific operations of children's smart watches, such as dating functions, in-app payments, content sending, etc.

"At present, the 'supervision power' for the use of children's smart devices is more in the case of parents. It is necessary to timely release and update the guidelines to let parents know more about children's smart devices and correctly help minors use them." Hu Gang, deputy secretary-general of the Legal Affairs Committee of the China Internet Association, said.

At the same time, experts said that online literacy courses that meet the current characteristics of minors’ Internet access should also be accelerated.

It is recommended to carry out the "24-hour screen-off" action among minors, return the "clean" mobile phone to children, and meet the needs of rural children for AI classes... This year's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, many representatives and deputies actively put forward suggestions on the issue of minors using the Internet. In addition, in response to the problems of information forgery caused by the development of artificial intelligence, many adults feel that it is "difficult to distinguish". Network literacy courses should focus more on hot topics to help minors find ways to get along with the intelligent era.

Reasonable companionship guides reasonable needs

Faced with extreme cases such as cyber violence, some parents ask their children to "avoid the Internet" out of concern.

"Today's minors grow up in an online environment and rely on the Internet to socialize and create." Ye Jun, an associate researcher at the Institute of Journalism and Communication, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that parents cannot "scared to talk about the Internet" and must face up to the needs of minors to use the Internet reasonably.

The "Youth Blue Book: China Minor Internet Application Report (2024)" released by the Institute of Journalism and Communication, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, etc. shows that since 2020, the proportion of minors who use online search to solve real problems has increased significantly, and the proportion of online creation using audio or video has increased year by year. The Internet has become an important place for minors to study, live and express themselves in social circles.

It is better to be relieved than to be blocked. Parents play a key role in guiding minors to access the Internet healthily. Ye Jun suggested that parents might as well establish the concept of "company Internet access". Through reasonable companionship, help minors plan their Internet access time and check content, accompany them throughout the process when they first touch the Internet, and guide them after independent Internet access. As their children grow older, they will gradually transform into communication-based companionship.

"Families, schools, society, platforms, etc. should further build consensus and study how to coordinate the relationship between the safe Internet access for minors and the development benefits of minors, the network protection of minors and the healthy and sustainable development of platforms, and improve the network protection work system for minors in many aspects." Yuan Ningning, deputy director of the Minor Affairs Governance and Legal Research Base of China University of Political Science and Law, said. (Reporters Jin Xin, Yang Hao, Dong Yingxue)

[Editor in charge: Yue Xiangzhi]