Social media ban for children? NDA ally raises big demand before PM Modi

New Delhi: An MP from an alliance party of the ruling NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a ban on social media for children. The proposal suggests prohibiting children under 16 years of age from creating and operating social media accounts. This initiative comes at a time when a global debate is intensifying regarding the impact of social media on the health and safety of young people, even in India, considered the world's largest market for companies like Meta and YouTube.

Who put forward the proposal?

The proposal was put forward by L.S.K. Devarayalu, a Member of Parliament from the Telugu Desam Party. He told Reuters on Friday, "Not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world's largest data producers for foreign platforms." Devarayalu alleged that companies are using this data to build advanced AI systems and turning Indian users into "unpaid data providers," while the strategic and economic benefits are being reaped elsewhere. Starting with Australia: Australia became the first country to implement such a ban last month, prohibiting social media for children under 16. According to reports, this move was welcomed by many parents and child rights advocates, but criticized by major tech companies and proponents of freedom of expression.

What has the French National Assembly said?

In a similar vein, the French National Assembly this week supported legislation in favor of a social media ban for children under 15. Meanwhile, the UK, Denmark, and Greece are also studying the issue. A debate is also underway in Germany. Reuters reported on a proposed bill in India, describing it as a 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill.  The bill is not yet public, but Reuters has seen it. The bill states that no minor under the age of 16 will be allowed to "create, maintain, or possess" a social media account. If such an account is found, it must be deactivated. In India, Mangdevrayalu wants the entire responsibility for verifying users' ages to be placed on social media platforms. In his words, "We are demanding that the entire responsibility for verifying users' ages be placed on social media platforms." This is a private member's bill, meaning it was not introduced in Parliament by a central minister. However, the report noted that such bills often spark debate in Parliament and can influence the direction of legislation. India's IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal. Meta, YouTube's parent company Alphabet, and X also did not respond to emails sent on Saturday.

What does the report reveal?

According to the report, Meta has previously said it supports laws related to parental supervision, but "governments considering restrictions should be careful not to push teenagers towards less safe, unregulated sites." India is the world's second-largest smartphone market, with 750 million devices and nearly 1 billion internet users. It is a crucial and rapidly growing market for social media apps. According to the report, there is no minimum age set for accessing social media in India. The government's chief economic advisor also drew attention on Thursday by saying that India should develop policies on age-based access limits to address "digital addiction."