Instagram Teen Accounts protect young users, Asia rollout next year

Instagram Teen Accounts protect young users, Asia rollout next year

2024-09-19

Instagram has announced the launch of accounts specifically for teenage users. The accounts of users under 18 will be set to private by default, and there will be restrictions on usage time. Content that is considered age-restricted will be locked, and parents will have the ability to monitor their children’s interactions. This new policy will first be implemented in North America, the UK and Australia, with plans to roll it out in Asia by next year.

Meta’s social media platform Instagram announced on Sept. 17 that it would launch accounts specifically for teenagers. This initiative aims to address calls for increased regulation and protection measures on the platform.

Barbara Ortutay
AP reporter
This means that anyone who has an Instagram account or is opening one who is under 18, will be placed in a special account that’s more restricted.

For teen users who spend more than 60 minutes on Instagram, a reminder notification will pop up. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., the app will automatically enter sleep mode, blocking even direct messages. Additionally, users under 16 will need to obtain parental permission to change their settings.

Member of public
Many people might try to deceive the system by claiming to be adults to access certain content. If there are mechanisms in place, it could help prevent these issues.

Member of public
I was a child once too, and if kids want to get around something, there’s really no way to fully prevent it. Kids are quite clever, and you can’t design overly complicated systems; otherwise, even adults might struggle to use them.

Parents are concerned that excessive use of social media could impact their children’s physical and mental development and lead to learning difficulties. In response to regulatory pressures, there will be enhanced review mechanisms. In the future, content related to violence, fighting, and explicit material will be restricted for underage users.

3C Tim
Tech expert
This is also a kind of trial. Given the increasing number of Instagram users, having restrictions for teenagers can at least help filter out sensitive content. I think this is a positive step.

Experts believe that while the intention behind the new system is positive, its implementation remains to be tested. Currently, the teenage accounts are being rolled out in the United States, Canada, the UK, and Australia first. Expansion to the EU is expected this year, while Taiwan will have to wait until next year for the new system to take effect.

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IG推"青少年帳號"家長可監護亞洲預計明年上路

2024-09-19

社群平台Instagram宣布推出青少年用戶帳號，未成年的使用者，將被預設程私人帳號，目前會限制使用時間，像是限制級的內容，將會被鎖住，父母甚至監控孩子的交談對象，新政政策先在北美、英國、澳洲動，亞洲地區預計到明年才會上路。

Meta旗下社群平台Instagram，17號宣布推出青少年帳號，希望透過新的保護措施，回應外界要求平台加強監管的呼聲。

[[美聯社記者芭芭拉‧奧圖泰]]
“這代表任何18歲以下有Instagram帳號或想開新帳號的人，他們的帳號將面臨更多限制。”

像是玩Instagram超過60分鐘，就會跳出提醒通知。晚上10點到早上7點，自動開啟睡眠模式，連私訊都會被阻擋。如果是16歲以下用戶，得取得父母許可才可變更設定。

[[民眾]]
“應該蠻多人會用騙的，就騙說自己有成年，所以才可以看到那些東西，如果有這些機制的話，就可以避免這些事情發生。”

[[民眾]]
“我也當過小朋友，我覺得要騙的經驗的話，其實沒人可以防範，因為小朋友真的很聰明，你不可能真的設計太複雜的機制，這樣可能連大人都沒辦法破解。”

家長擔心小孩過度使用社群媒體，會影響身心發展和學習障礙，面對監管壓力，加強審核機制，未來像是像是暴力打架、煽情裸露內容，未成年的用戶都會受到限制。

[[3C達人 Tim]]
“這樣也是一種嘗試，應該是說Instagram現在使用者越來越多的情況下，如果有青少年的限制，至少在一些內容觀看上，可以屏蔽跟青少年敏感相關的一些影片，我覺得這是好事。”

專家認為新制上路立意良善，但怎麼落實還有待考驗。現在包括美國、加拿大、英國跟澳洲，青少年帳號率先上路。預計今年會擴整到歐盟，台灣可要等到明年，新制才會啟動。

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A senior executive from Formosa Plastics flew to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and was immediately taken to a small interrogation room by Chinese authorities upon landing. Although he was eventually released, it has been half a month since the incident, and he has still not been allowed to return to Taiwan, effectively being subjected to and exit ban.

With cross-strait tensions rising, the risks for Taiwanese citizens traveling to China have increased significantly. The Mainland Affairs Council is aware of the situation regarding the executive, but they have not yet received any requests for assistance from his family. The Council warns that discussing or comparing the political systems of both sides online, praising Taiwan’s democracy; commenting on China’s economic downturn and rising youth unemployment; or even running for public office in Taiwan could all lead to detention.

Chen Kuan-ting
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This clearly shows that Chinese state security personnel can charge individuals with anything they want. We strongly condemn such practices by the Chinese authorities, and hope that China will prioritize the basic safety of foreign nationals engaged in business, tourism, and education within its borders.

The ruling party has strongly criticized the expansion of powers by Chinese authorities. It has been reported that the Formosa Plastics executive is involved in a criminal case that is under investigation, which is why he has not been allowed to return to Taiwan. Still, the ruling party is demanding an explanation about what has happened.

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Regardless of academic or cultural exchanges, all activities should be based on goodwill. Using such ambiguous methods, with the true reasons still unclear, infringes on the rights of Taiwanese people in China. We must protest against these actions.

The DPP caucus has urged China to show goodwill and ensure the safety of Taiwanese people in civilian exchanges. Detaining individuals without providing reasons will only deepen the doubts Taiwanese people have towards China.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Taiwan-exclusive boba toy designer says no to scalpers

An international designer toy brand has launched a limited edition figure inspired by Taiwanese bubble tea, priced at nearly NT$6,000. The announcement has sparked intense discussion, with concerns about scalpers reselling the item after its release. To combat this, sales will be conducted through a lottery system over three days, and purchases must be made under real-name registration.

Chou Jung-Hsan
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Taiwan’s most famous drink is undoubtedly bubble tea. Now, even international designer toy brands are drawing inspiration from it to launch globally limited figures, making it clear to everyone that this comes from Taiwan.

The figure features a bubble-tea color scheme with big, round, adorable eyes. From its belly to its feet, it is covered in clusters of black sugar pearls, resembling the beloved drink.

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We hope to strengthen our connection with local consumers, which is why we chose to use bubble tea—Taiwan’s most popular beverage—as our inspiration.

From Sept. 20 to Sept. 22, the public will be able to participate in an online lottery for three consecutive days. The winners will be announced on Sept. 24, and the limited sale will take place from Sept. 27 to Sept. 29. Many fans are eagerly preparing to bag the Taiwan-exclusive item.

Member of public
I would want to buy it because it’s a Taiwan exclusive, and I usually collect these kinds of things.

In addition to the figure, the brand will also host a special exhibition at its flagship store, which will run for a month. However, after the launch of the “egg tart” limited edition in Macau, scalpers appeared online selling it at inflated prices.

Yeh Chien-Yu
Toy company PR head
To ensure fairness in the availability of our products, we will be using a lottery system for sales. Additionally, purchases will require real-name registration to minimize issues with scalpers.

To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the company will implement protective measures. That way, it’ less likely the Taiwan-exclusive bubble-tea figure will become a tool for scalpers.

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Simple gestures paired with vivid facial expressions make it clear what the other is thinking. To the deaf community, sign language is a crucial form of communication.

Chiu An
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I find every translation very rewarding, no matter the size of the interaction. I can help deaf and hearing people communicate with each other. I can help them complete a dialogue or meeting or forum or doctor’s visit, or even something simple. As long as I can help them smoothly complete an interaction, I feel accomplished.

Ku Fang-huai
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Sign language is enormously helpful to deaf children. If they can use sign language, they can learn more. They can absorb more information, get a better education, and then find a better job.

There are about 70 million deaf people in the world and over 3 million different kinds of sign language. In Taiwan, sign language doesn’t have a long history. It came out of the Japanese signing family. But with recent advancements under the Development of National Languages Act, Taiwanese signing is getting more attention.

Ford Liao
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It’s a form of communication. If the form is complete and accurate, people are better able to understand what’s being said. On the other hand, the greater consideration is you don’t want to cause more harm from a breakdown in communication. For example, in many legal cases the content is extremely important.

Although there’s still a long way to go before sign language is popularized, advocates hope that through education and promotion, the deaf community can fully enjoy their rights while building a more friendly environment for all people.

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Interview with Germany’s representative, Eva Langerbeck

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Eva Langerbeck
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One of my goals is, of course, number one, increasing the visibility of Taiwan’s strengths of where you can play a vital role for the German economy. One, of course, is semi-conductors, which, thanks to the investment of TSMC, is at the forefront right now. The most successful years were during the COVID years due to the semiconductors, because the demand especially for specialized chips was at an all-time high globally. You can see that in the trade statistics already. When you look at the trade statistics between Germany and Taiwan at the moment, microelectronics and electrical components is still the majority, which I believe is around 30%.

TSMC is currently building a US$11.04 billion fab in Dresden, Germany, in its first expansion into Europe. Production is expected to begin in 2027. Subsidies have been approved by the European Union, and a TSMC delegation visited Germany to familiarize itself with the region and German working culture.

Eva Langerbeck
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For the TSMC side, of course, there was a groundbreaking ceremony on the 20th of August, which I heard was very successful and was covered extensively in the media. Also, the subsidy has also been approved by the European Union so the project is on track is also what we hear from TSMC. We also had a delegation with Silicon Saxony to Germany for some of the suppliers of TSMC, to introduce them of course to the region and also show them what is on offer: where they could set up companies and also what is the working culture, and so on. And also to ease a bit maybe voices that there could be challenges along the road. This is something we will definitely continue.

Aside from semiconductors, Langerbeck said other areas of collaboration with Taiwan included artificial intelligence, aerospace technologies, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and automation, as well as robotics, health care and renewable energy.

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Prior to taking up office in Taipei, she earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and worked at the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Langerbeck said she’s eager to further strengthen bilateral trade ties between Taiwan and Germany.

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Just enter the date, amount, and type of expense. This smart watch budgeting app is simple and easy to understand. And this is the developer, a nine-year-old nicknamed Sea Horse.

Sea Horse
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Most of the better apps are all for the phone, but I don’t have one at the moment. I wanted to learn some programming, so I decided to make a budgeting app.

He drafted every page of these plans by himself. From learning the basics to actually writing the code, Sea Horse spent six months to make the program and upload it to the app store. He also used ChatGPT for help and troubleshooting.

Sea Horse
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I started learning some Python in February and started making the app in May. I’m thrilled, because after so long it’s finally in the app store. I want to be a computer engineer. I hope to work at Apple someday.

He may want to become a software engineer in the future, but for now, Sea Horse’s other passion is Doraemon. Everything is covered in the cartoon, from his clothing to his desk. When they were stuck at home during the pandemic, his software engineer father introduced Sea Horse and his sister to coding through games.

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During the pandemic, everyone was home. I saw them lazing around without anything to do, so I made a computer class. Every weekend for one or two hours I taught them a few basic things about computers. As for actually coding, they were welcome to teach themselves whenever they wanted to.

Starfish
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At the time, Dad said that if we finish a chapter, he’d buy us a comic book. I took it very seriously. It feels like talking to a computer, having a conversation. It’s amazing to watch your program run without any problems.

Not only Sea Horse, but also his sister, Starfish, loves to learn programming languages. To them it’s not complicated, but offers limitless space to display their creativity.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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