India Proposes Social Media Ban For Kids Under 16 Following Australia And Egypt, IT Minister To Review New Bill

A bill to prohibit children from using social media has been proposed by an ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes as the world’s largest market for YouTube, and Meta enters a worldwide discussion about the effects of social media on the health and safety of young people. 

Lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu told Reuters on Friday that “not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world’s largest producers of data for foreign platforms.” 

“Based on this data, these companies are creating advanced AI systems, effectively turning Indian users into unpaid data providers, while the strategic and economic benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he stated. 

Last month, Australia became the first nation to forbid children under the age of sixteen from using social media. While many parents and child advocates applauded this decision, big digital corporations and proponents of free speech criticized it. This week, the National Assembly of France supported legislation that would prohibit minors under the age of 15 from using social media, while Greece, Denmark, and Britain are researching the matter. 

On Saturday, emails requesting comment on the Indian law were not answered by Facebook operator Meta, YouTube parent Alphabet, or X. Meta has stated that while it supports parental supervision regulations, “governments considering bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.” 

A request for comment was not answered by India’s IT ministry.  

India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a crucial growing area for social media apps and does not establish a minimum age for access. 

According to Devarayalu’s 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, which Reuters was able to view, no one under 16 “shall be permitted to create, maintain, or hold” a social media account, and those who do should have them disabled. 

“We are asking that the entire onus of ensuring users’ age be placed on the social media platforms,” Devarayalu stated.  

In an attempt to combat “digital addiction,” the government’s chief economic adviser made headlines on Thursday when he suggested that India should create laws governing age-based access restrictions. 

Although Devarayalu’s proposal is a private member’s bill rather than one put out by a federal minister, these measures frequently spark discussions in parliament and have an impact on legislative decisions.  

He belongs to the Telugu Desam Party, which is essential to Modi’s coalition administration and controls the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. 

(input from Agency)

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