By Admin 
The Indian government is now moving towards strictness on children’s social media use. After countries like Australia and France, now the discussion of banning or making strict rules on social media for children below 16 years of age has intensified in India. A senior official of the Ministry of Information Technology, on the condition of anonymity, said that the government can bring such a restriction by amending the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Government is thinking of adopting Australia model
The officer said, ‘There are some accounts which children should not access. We have to take a conscious decision whether children should have access to these platforms or not. However, the government is not talking about a complete ban right now, but is looking at the Australia model, where children below 16 years of age have been prevented from using social media.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav also confirmed on 17 February 2026 that the government is talking to social media companies. He said, ‘Many countries have accepted that there should be regulation on the basis of age. This was part of our Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. We are currently talking to social media platforms on deepfakes and age-based restrictions.
Why is this issue arising?
- The Economic Survey 2025-26 has warned that screen addiction and compulsive use among the youth is causing economic and social loss. The survey suggested that there should be age-based restrictions on social media, gambling apps, auto-play features and targeted ads. Platforms should implement age verification and age-appropriate defaults.
- This step is being taken to protect children from problems like mental health, addiction, cyberbullying, obscene content and deepfakes.
- Currently, there is no law in India that prevents children under any age from using social media, but under the DPDP Act, verifiable parental consent is required to process personal data of children under 18 years of age. This forces platforms to limit children’s data collection and targeted ads.
What is happening in the world due to social media ban?
- Australia became the first country in the world where social media is banned for children under 16 years of age.
- A bill has been passed in France to stop the use of social media on children below 15 years of age.
- Countries like UK, Spain, Denmark and Greece are also thinking of imposing such restrictions.
- In India, states like Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are considering the Australia model. Madras High Court has also recommended the Center to make a law like Australia.
What are the challenges on social media ban in India?
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) Founder Director Upper Gupta said that such a ban in India would be only on paper. Platforms could be asked to block accounts under 16, but enforcement would be difficult. Many children use fake age.
This proposal is still under consideration. The government is talking to social media companies, but no final decision or timeline has come. If implemented, it will have a huge impact on millions of young users in India, especially since India is the largest social media market in the world.