An ally of PM Modi proposes a bill to ban social media for children under 16, joining a global debate on youth safety and data privacy.
NEW DELHI: An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed legislation to ban social media access for children under 16.
Lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu’s private member’s bill aims to address addiction and data privacy concerns in the world’s largest market for Meta and YouTube.
“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,” Devarayalu told Reuters.
He argued that international companies use Indian user data to develop advanced AI systems without local strategic benefit.
The proposed Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill would prohibit anyone under 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts.
Platforms found hosting underage users would be required to disable those accounts.
“We are asking that the entire onus of ensuring users’ age be placed on the social media platforms,” Devarayalu stated.
India, with 750 million smartphones and a billion internet users, currently has no minimum age for social media access.
The bill joins a growing global debate, following Australia’s recent ban on social media for under-16s.
France’s National Assembly also backed legislation this week to ban children under 15 from social media.
Britain, Denmark and Greece are reportedly studying similar age-restriction measures.
Meta has previously stated it supports laws for parental oversight but cautions against bans that might push teens to less regulated sites.
Facebook operator Meta, YouTube-parent Alphabet and X did not respond to requests for comment on the Indian proposal.
India’s IT ministry also did not respond to a request for comment.
The government’s chief economic adviser recently suggested India should draft policies on age-based access limits to tackle digital addiction.
Devarayalu is from the Telugu Desam Party, which governs Andhra Pradesh and is a vital partner in Modi’s coalition government.
While a private member’s bill, such legislation often triggers parliamentary debate and can influence future lawmaking. – Reuters
