Now, Centre Mulls Age-Based Restrictions For Social Media Use: Report

The central government is holding discussions on restricting social media usage for minors, with the IT ministry holding at least three discussions with social media platforms and other stakeholders over the past few weeks over the feasibility of such restrictions. 

The government is concerned about the exposure to inappropriate content that children constantly have through the use of social media, along with other issues like spread of misinformation among minors, cyber bullying and fraud, and addiction-related issues, ET reported. 

The movement to ban social media usage for minors was heralded by Australia last year, and many countries around the world are since mulling similar moves. In India, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have already announced intentions to reduce social media usage for teenagers. 

The Centre is mulling if it should go for an outright ban or a tiered approach that allows age-appropriate offerings. The age range is also yet to be decided, especially as different states have decided on different age groups for the ban. 

The government is reportedly studying the Australia model, which has banned social media usage for those under 16, including platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, X, Facebook and others. It is also trying to build consensus on this issue across party lines, an official said. 

The pressure is also building within the parliament, as a meeting of 15 MPs was held last week to discuss the issue initiated by TDP MP Lavu Srikrishna Devarayulu. 

“Several social media companies are trying to spread the narrative that such a ban will lead to a digital divide. But we feel that this will create an opportunity for companies to create more educational tools using technological innovations,” Devarayulu said. 

The meeting followed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) taking cognizance of the matter, noting that it has found “serious, large-scale, and systemic violations” by digital, social media, edtech, and AI platforms widely accessed by children in India. It has now asked multiple ministries, including MeitY, to examine the matter and submit a detailed report in two weeks. 

The Economic Survey released ahead of the Union Budget earlier this year also pointed to the excessive use of digital devices, which has become an addiction.

“Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the Survey said.

Notably, Facebook and Instagram’s parent Meta and Google’s parent Alphabet lost a case in the US this week where a woman alleged that her addiction to these platforms caused her a mental health crisis. 

Age-appropriate bans could dent growth of these platforms, while curbs and other measures could add to compliance costs. Platforms have already begun to point out the unwarranted downsides of these bans, as it could lead to a flood of illegal and unregulated platforms for children to access instead. 

Some states have decided to go ahead with their own local legislature while the Centre formulates a nationwide policy regarding social media usage. Karnataka has proposed a ban on mobile phone and social media usage for under-16s, and a bill regarding this matter is expected to reach the legislative assembly soon. Andhra Pradesh has set a deadline ending June to enforce a blanket ban on social media usage for under-13s. Maharashtra and Goa are also mulling similar restrictions. 

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