The central government is likely to amend the Information Technology Rules, 2021 to introduce age-based restrictions on social media access for users below 16, according to media reports citing officials.
The proposed move would align with steps taken by Australia, where children under 16 have been barred from using major social media platforms, including TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Threads.
However, the Centre is reportedly not considering a complete ban for teenagers, but rather a calibrated approach.
“Certain accounts should be accessible, while others should not. We must carefully assess whether children should have access to specific types of content,” an unnamed official from the IT Ministry was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on Tuesday, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw underscored the need for stronger safeguards to protect children and shield society from online harms.
“...Right now, we are in discussions regarding deepfakes and age-based restrictions with various social media platforms to determine the most appropriate course of action,” the minister said.
Vaishnaw also emphasised that all companies — including Netflix, YouTube, Meta, and X — must comply with India’s legal framework and constitutional provisions.
“There is certainly a need to protect our children and society from these harms. We have initiated dialogue with industry stakeholders to determine what additional regulations may be required beyond the existing framework,” he added.
According to a report by CNBC, any regulatory crackdown in India could significantly impact companies such as Meta and Google, both of which have hundreds of millions of users in the country.
This marks the first time the government has explicitly indicated its intent to introduce restrictions on children’s access to social media. The government’s Economic Survey, released last month, had suggested that age-based access controls for online platforms be considered.
At present, India does not impose a minimum age requirement for accessing social media platforms. However, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act requires platforms to obtain parental consent before processing the personal data of individuals under 18.
Since Australia implemented its under-16 social media ban in December, debate has intensified globally over whether similar measures should be adopted elsewhere. Denmark has approved rules to block users under 15 from social media, while Spain is considering comparable restrictions.
In Australia, the new regulations do not impose penalties on children or their parents for violating the under-16 social media ban. Instead, the responsibility rests with social media companies. Platforms that commit serious or repeated breaches of the rules can face fines of up to A$49.5 million.