• The debate over restricting minors’ social media use has intensified after Australia became the first country to ban social media for under-16s, effective 10 December 2025.
• In India, Karnataka is considering restrictions for children under 16 and Andhra Pradesh for those under 13, while the Union Government is exploring a graded, age-based approach instead of a blanket ban.

The Global Push for Regulation

• Australia: world’s first nationwide under-16 social media ban, placing the burden of enforcement on platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, X).
• The UK, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE and the US are considering or implementing various age-based restrictions.
• Privacy concern: mandatory age verification must be designed carefully to avoid unnecessary collection of personal data.

Arguments in Favour

• Mental health crisis: a NIMHANS report found 27% of Indian teenagers show signs of social media dependency; the Economic Survey 2025-26 flagged rising “digital addiction” among children.
• Rising cyberbullying, grooming, exposure to harmful content and online exploitation.
• Addictive design: infinite scrolling, auto-play and other “dark patterns” maximise engagement at the cost of child safety.
• The Australian model shifts responsibility onto tech platforms rather than overwhelmed parents.

Arguments Against Blanket Bans

• Impractical enforcement: bans are easily bypassed via VPNs and fake ages, potentially pushing children toward unregulated, less-safe platforms.
• Privacy risk: mandatory age verification can force collection of sensitive identity data.
• Widening the gender digital divide: only 33.3% of Indian women have ever used the internet (vs 57.1% of men) — bans framed as child protection risk further restricting girls’ device access.
• Practical contradictions: schools in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh routinely send homework via WhatsApp, complicating any blanket ban.
• Federalism question: state-level bans raise Centre-State tensions over regulating a largely national/digital subject.

• DPDP Act, 2023: treats everyone under 18 as a child, requires verifiable parental consent, and restricts targeted advertising and behavioural tracking — but mainly regulates children’s data, not their access to platforms.
• DPDP Rules, 2025 operationalise parental consent provisions; the IT Act, 2000 and IT Rules, 2021 cover content and intermediary responsibility; the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 protects against online exploitation and trafficking.
• Civilisational solution: the Guru-Shishya tradition emphasised values, discipline and responsibility alongside knowledge — the aim is to adapt, not recreate, these traditions for the digital age.