India Weighs Social Media Ban for Under-16s as Lawmaker Cites Data Exploitation and Youth Safety
By Sarita Chaganti Singh, Reuters
NEW DELHI, Jan 31 (Reuters) — India, a pivotal growth market for global social media platforms, is poised to enter a fierce international debate over online safety as a senior lawmaker from the ruling coalition tables a bill seeking to ban access for teenagers.
The proposed Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, drafted by L.S.K. Devarayalu of the Telugu Desam Party, aims to prohibit anyone under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts. The legislation would place the legal burden on companies like Meta and Alphabet to verify users' ages and disable accounts held by minors.
"We are witnessing a dual crisis: our youth are grappling with addiction, while their data fuels the AI engines of foreign corporations without commensurate national benefit," Devarayalu told Reuters. His comments underscore a strategic concern in New Delhi that India's vast digital population—over a billion internet users—is becoming a data feedstock for global tech, with limited local economic or strategic gains.
The move aligns India with a wave of regulatory action worldwide. Australia recently enacted a ban for under-16s, France is advancing similar restrictions for children under 15, and several European nations are conducting reviews. The debate pits child welfare advocates against tech firms and free-speech proponents who warn that outright bans could drive youth to darker corners of the internet.
Meta, YouTube's parent Alphabet, and X did not immediately comment on the Indian proposal. Meta has previously advocated for parental consent mechanisms over blanket bans, cautioning that prohibitions might push teens toward less regulated platforms.
As a private member's bill, the proposal is not yet government policy but signals growing political momentum. The initiative follows public remarks from India's chief economic adviser calling for age-based access limits to combat digital addiction.
Reactions & Analysis:
Dr. Anika Mehta, Child Psychologist, New Delhi: "This is a necessary, if drastic, intervention. The correlation between prolonged social media use and anxiety among Indian adolescents is stark. We need guardrails while we develop digital literacy programs."
Rohan Desai, Tech Policy Analyst, Bengaluru: "The data sovereignty argument is compelling, but enforcement is a minefield. Age verification is technically challenging and raises privacy concerns. The bill might inadvertently create a market for forged IDs."
Kavita Sharma, Parent & Education Activist, Mumbai: "Finally! These platforms have been allowed to operate like digital candy stores with no responsibility. They profit from our children's attention and data while leaving families to deal with the mental health fallout. This ban can't come soon enough."
Arjun Patel, Software Developer & Digital Rights Advocate, Hyderabad: "This is a classic knee-jerk, nanny-state response. It punishes responsible young users and shifts focus from the real issue: holding platforms accountable for their algorithms and content moderation. Education, not prohibition, is the answer."