India Debates Social Media Ban for Minors Amid Global Trend

New Delhi. In recent days, European nations have successively banned the use of social media among children under the age of 16. Amidst this, the issue of banning social media use for children under 16 in India has sparked intense political and policy debate.

Many Indian states are studying the feasibility of similar laws, based on the strict age-based restrictions recently implemented by Australia. The debate gained further momentum last week after India's annual Economic Survey recommended that the central government consider an age-based limit for children. However, the survey's suggestions are not binding.

Experts have warned that implementing a complete ban in a large and diverse digital landscape like India would be difficult and could face legal challenges.

Just a few days ago, Australia became the first country to ban most social media for those under 16. France's lower house has also passed a similar ban for those under 15; this proposal is currently under consideration in the Senate. The United Kingdom is also discussing similar steps.

L.S.K. Devaryalu, a Member of Parliament from the ruling Telugu Desam Party in India's Andhra Pradesh, has introduced a private bill to stop children under 16 from using social media.

Although this is not a government bill and is less likely to pass, it is expected to influence the debate in parliament. The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a committee of ministers to study international regulation models and has called companies like X, Google, and ShareChat for discussions.

The state's IT Minister, Nara Lokesh, has committed to creating a safer digital environment, stating that children are getting addicted to excessive use. Goa and Karnataka are also studying similar measures.

Indian media outlets have reported that Karnataka is running a digital detox program for over 400,000 students and teachers in collaboration with Meta.