本月，行政长官李家超在最后一次施政报告中宣布成立跨部门专责小组，研究未成年人使用社交媒体及人工智能平台的问题，此举意味着香港正纳入一个不断扩大的国际共识。
When Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu used his last policy address this month to announce an interdepartmental task force on minors’ use of social media and artificial intelligence platforms, he was placing Hong Kong within a widening international consensus.
儿童的数字生活不能再仰赖科技公司的善意。律政司司长林定国此后证实，立法是其中一项选项。这项研究应以开放态度推进。
The digital lives of children can no longer be left to the goodwill of technology companies. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok has since confirmed that legislation is among the options. This inquiry should proceed with an open mind.
加强审视的理由十分充分。过度使用电子设备已被证实与青少年心理健康状况变差、睡眠受扰和视力恶化有关。色情内容、网络欺凌、美化暴力的内容，以及日益增多的AI生成深度伪造内容，如今接触儿童轻而易举，这是以往任何一代人所未面对的。指导方针与规劝始终难以跟上。
The case for scrutiny is strong. Heavy device use has been linked to poorer mental health, disrupted sleep and deteriorating eyesight among the young. Pornography, cyberbullying, content glorifying violence and, increasingly, AI-generated deepfakes now reach children with an ease no earlier generation has confronted. Guidelines and exhortations have struggled to keep pace.
本地数据令人警醒。香港家庭教育 Institute 调查发现，34.7%的幼儿园学生每天至少花一小时使用社交媒体，超过八成的亲子争执与屏幕使用时间有关。由家长发起的团体Look Up Hong Kong调查显示，超过一半的六至十岁儿童拥有智能手机。此外，还需打击深度伪造色情内容等与人工智能相关的犯罪，因为儿童很容易接触到此类内容。
Local figures are sobering. The Hong Kong Institute of Family Education found that 34.7 per cent of kindergarten pupils spend at least an hour daily on social media, with over 80 per cent of parent-child disputes linked to screen time. Over half of children aged six to 10 own smartphones, according to parent-led group Look Up Hong Kong. There is also the need to combat AI-related crimes such as deepfake pornography to which children could easily be exposed.
香港并非孤军作战。澳大利亚成为首个推出16岁以下未成年人社交媒体禁令的国家，禁令涵盖Facebook、Instagram、YouTube和TikTok等平台。未成年人不得开设新账户，现有账户则会被停用。违规的社交媒体公司会被罚款，但家长和儿童不会受到处罚。英国、新西兰和丹麦此后也提出了类似禁令。林定国承诺研究澳大利亚法律的有效性及其实施反馈，同时合理指出，各地并无一套统一规则。
Hong Kong would not be acting alone. Australia became the first country to introduce a social media ban for minors under 16, covering platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Minors were barred from opening new accounts and existing ones were deactivated. Social media companies face fines for breaches, while parents and children are not penalised. Britain, New Zealand and Denmark have since proposed similar bans. Lam has pledged to study the effectiveness of Australia’s law and feedback on its implementation, while rightly noting that there is no uniform set of rules.
这些例子表明，任何立法程序都需要经过审慎考量。如果法律容易被平台规避或无视，那么它将无法保护任何人。在自愿准则之外，任何具有强制执行力的法律提案都需要经过仔细审查，因为它们往往会带来意想不到的后果。香港拥有“不必先行”的优势，可以研究哪些门槛、验证方法和处罚结构行之有效，哪些效果不佳甚至完全无效。
Such examples suggest any legislative process needs to be carefully considered. A law that platforms can easily evade or ignore protects no one. Enforceable law proposals going beyond voluntary codes need to be carefully examined as they often carry unintended consequences. Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of not moving first. It can study which thresholds, verification methods and penalty structures have worked, and which have been less effective or not at all.
林定国的构思是明智的。他表示，硬性法律、行为准则和教育“并非相互排斥”，而是“可以并行不悖”。没有任何法规可以替代以身作则培养健康习惯的家长，或是教授数字素养的学校。同时，对权利的担忧也不应被忽视。
Lam’s framing is sensible. Hard law, codes of conduct and education, he said, “are not mutually exclusive” and “may run in parallel”. No statute will substitute for parents who model healthy habits or schools that teach digital literacy. Nor should concerns about rights be brushed aside.
林定国坚持认为，任何法律都将符合《基本法》，且其保护儿童免受明显有害内容侵害的宗旨，几乎不会引起争议。但年龄验证不可避免地会涉及个人数据，因此限制措施必须适度。
Lam insists any law will comply with the Basic Law, and the purpose, protecting children from demonstrably harmful material, is one few would contest. But age verification inevitably touches personal data, and restrictions must be proportionate.
香港个人资料私隐专员公署应从一开始就密切参与其中。专责小组应通过公开咨询、公布证据并解释权衡利弊的过程，来增强公众信心。
The city’s privacy commissioner should be closely involved from the outset. The task force would strengthen public confidence by consulting openly, publishing its evidence and explaining the trade-offs.
这种紧迫感应延伸至更广泛的人工智能议程。林定国已承认公众对人工智能相关犯罪的担忧，并正与法律改革委员会的网络犯罪小组委员会联络，以优先开展相关研究。现行法律可以处理诈骗等犯罪行为，但可能需要更具针对性的立法，以跟上技术的飞速发展。
Urgency should extend to the wider AI agenda. Lam has acknowledged public concern over AI-related crimes and is liaising with the Law Reform Commission’s cybercrime subcommittee to prioritise its study. Existing laws can deal with offences such as scams, but more targeted legislation may be needed to keep pace with rapid technological advancement.
一个专门负责人工智能产品事故法律责任的独立工作组将于今年举行首次会议，并将咨询制造商、人工智能开发者和消费者。这种包容性的方法应成为涵盖一系列相关问题的典范。
A separate task force on legal liability for accidents caused by AI products is to hold its first meeting this year, consulting manufacturers, AI creators and consumers. That inclusive approach should serve as a model covering a range of related issues.
问题不在于政府是否应该采取措施来保护儿童在网络上的安全，而在于如何才能有效地做到这一点。香港选择了谨慎研究而非空喊口号或使用耸人听闻的言辞——这才是正确的方向。
The question is not whether governments should act to protect children online, but how to do so effectively. Hong Kong has chosen careful study over slogans and sensationalism. That is the right direction.
现在，这个特别工作组应该认真借鉴其他国家的经验，与家长、教育工作者以及青少年本身进行沟通，并提出切实可行的建议。这些建议必须足够严谨，能够经受住法律审查的考验，同时也要能够应对那些精通技术的新一代人的挑战。我们的孩子理应得到最好的保护。——摘自《南华早报》社论
The task force should now draw soberly on the experience of foreign countries, engage parents, educators and young people themselves, and deliver recommendations. These need to be robust enough to withstand legal scrutiny and the ingenuity of a tech-savvy generation. Our children deserve nothing less. By SCMP Editorial