NEW DELHI: An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a bill to ban social media for children, as the world’s biggest market for Meta and YouTube joins a global debate about the impact of social media on the health and safety of young people.
“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,” said lawmaker LSK Devarayalu. Reuters on Friday.
“Based on this data, these companies create advanced AI systems that effectively turn Indian users into unpaid data providers while the strategic and financial benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he said.
Australia last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticized by major technology companies and free speech advocates.
France’s National Assembly this week backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.
Facebook operator Meta YouTube parent Alphabet and X did not respond Saturday to emails seeking comment on the Indian law. Meta has said it supports parental control laws, but that “governments considering bans should be careful not to push teenagers towards less safe, unregulated places.”
India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market with 750 million devices and one billion internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps and does not set a minimum age for access.
Devaraylu’s 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Act, which is not public but was seen by Reuterssays that no one under 16 “shall be permitted to create, maintain or hold” a social media account, and those found to have one must have them deactivated.
“We request that the entire burden of ensuring the age of users be placed on the social media platforms,” Devarayalu said.
The government’s chief economic adviser drew attention on Thursday by saying India should come up with policies on age-based access limits to tackle “digital addiction”.
Devaraylu’s legislation is a private member’s bill – not proposed to parliament by a federal minister – but such bills often spark debates in parliament and influence legislation.
He is from the Telugu Desam Party, which rules the southern state of Andhra Pradesh and is crucial to Modi’s coalition government.
