After Australia and France, India weighs social media ban for Under-16s

NEW DELHI: The central government is contemplating moves to regulate social media use for those under the age of 16. This is in a situation where deepfake videos and criminal content are influencing children. For this, the IT Act of 2021 will be amended.

No complete ban will be in place. Partial restrictions will be implemented first, excluding classroom apps. Access to some accounts will be allowed. Those applications not deemed accessible for minors will be strictly prohibited.

Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told the media during the AI ​​Summit in Delhi that discussions are underway regarding regulating social media use of those under 16 years of age. Age-based restrictions have been accepted by many countries.

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, the social media data of those below the age of 18 is the responsibility of the parents. Parents’ permission is required to check it.

The Economic Survey presented in the Budget Session of Parliament recommends age-based restrictions on digital platforms.

1. Australia is the first country to ban social media for those under 16. The ban on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Reddit, YouTube, Kik, Twitch and Threads came into effect last December

2. Following Australia's example, France imposed restrictions on those under 15. Countries such as Denmark, Norway, Malaysia, Spain and the UK are also considering restrictions

3. In India, states such as Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are also discussing restrictions. The Madras High Court had asked the Centre to consider a law emulating the Australian model