Ban on Social Media for Users Under-16, What Government Said in Parliament About Its Policy?

At the time when many countries have implemented and others are considering to put a ban on use of social media under the age of 16, India has firmly ruled out following global powers down the path of outright social media prohibitions for minors. Instead India is choosing to double down on parental consent, data protection, and platform accountability. 

Addressing the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the government has no intention of barring children under 16 from maintaining social media accounts. The statement comes as a wave of international legislation—most notably Australia’s historic enforcement of an under-16 social media ban—forces nations to take a hard line on youth digital access. 

The IT Ministry clarified that while India keeps a close tab on evolving international regulatory frameworks, domestic policies must balance user safety and privacy against digital inclusion and technological innovation. 

India’s Playbook: Consent, Accountability, and Takedowns

Instead of imposing hard age limits or lockouts, New Delhi is relying on a legal framework built around strict platform compliance and parental oversight:

• Mandatory Parental Consent: The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 requires social media firms to secure verifiable consent from parents before processing the personal data of any user under 18. 

• Total Ban on Minor Profiling: Under Indian law, Big Tech platforms are strictly banned from tracking children’s online behavior, serving them targeted advertisements, or building behavioral profiles on minor users. 

• Rapid Content Takedowns: Existing IT Rules compel intermediaries to purge illegal or harmful content within three hours of receiving official orders. Any severe offenses impacting children must be handed over immediately to law enforcement authorities. 

• Digital Literacy Campaigns: The government continues to expand awareness initiatives like the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) program alongside the Education Ministry’s PRAGYATA guidelines, aiming to build digital resilience rather than block access. 

The Global Pivot: Banning the Under-16s

India’s measured approach stands in stark contrast to an aggressive international trend, where governments are cutting off social media access for younger teenagers:

• Australia: Set a global precedent by enacting a nationwide ban that prohibits anyone under 16 from creating or holding accounts on major services like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

• United Kingdom and Europe: France, Denmark, Spain, and the UK have passed or introduced laws requiring tech giants to enforce rigid age-verification systems, utilizing facial estimation and digital IDs to keep under-16s off unregulated feeds.

• Southeast Asia: Nations like Malaysia and Indonesia have rolled out mandatory age-assurance compliance audits, forcing platforms to verify user ages or face hefty regulatory fines.

• Vietnam: Implemented a unique framework that allows under-16s onto platforms but strictly bans them from posting content, commenting, or interacting online.

Pressure Mounts in Parliament

While the Central Government maintains that a sweeping ban is off the cards, the debate over online child safety in India is far from settled. 

A string of private member bills calling for age-gating mechanisms has reached Parliament, and state governments like Andhra Pradesh and Goa have established specialized panels to evaluate global age-restriction models.

For now, the Centre’s position remains clear: responsibility lies in holding social media platforms legally accountable and giving parents the tools to safeguard their children online.