Three private members’ Bills proposing age-based restrictions on social media use have been listed for introduction in the current session of Parliament, bringing issues such as age verification, parental consent, and online safety for children into the legislative discussion.
The proposals have been introduced by lawmakers from different political parties and broadly focus on limiting minors’ access to social media and certain online platforms. However, as private members’ legislation, the Bills would still require broader political and government support to have a realistic path towards becoming law.
Different Age Limits and Safeguards Proposed
The Bills differ in their specific age thresholds and proposed mechanisms, but share a common objective of strengthening protections for children online. The measures under consideration include restrictions on social media and gaming accounts for children below 13, regulated access for older teenagers, verifiable parental consent, and requirements for platforms to establish a user’s age.
One earlier proposal was the Safeguarding Healthy Internet Environment for Little Digital-Natives (SHIELD) Bill, drafted by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. The proposal sought restricted and regulated internet and social media access for children below 13.
Another measure, titled the Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, was introduced by Telugu Desam Party MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu. The listing of three separate Bills indicates that lawmakers are pursuing different approaches towards a similar policy objective.
State-Level Discussions Have Already Begun
The parliamentary proposals follow discussions in several states around age-based controls for children using digital platforms.
Andhra Pradesh has announced plans to introduce restrictions for children below 13 and consider additional safeguards for users aged between 13 and 16. The state’s policy discussions have included potential age-verification mechanisms, digital-literacy initiatives, and recommendations to the Union government on matters falling under central jurisdiction.
Karnataka has also examined restrictions aimed at protecting younger users online.
State-level discussions have generally attempted to balance stronger safeguards for children with continued access to digital services that can provide educational and other benefits.
Existing Rules and the Age-Verification Challenge
India already regulates digital platforms through the Information Technology Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The Digital Personal Data Protection framework also provides for verifiable parental consent before processing children’s personal data, subject to the provisions and exemptions prescribed by the government.
However, a dedicated law governing age-based access would represent a broader approach by potentially determining whether minors can create accounts or access specific features on digital platforms.
One of the biggest implementation challenges would be age assurance. Basic self-declaration systems can be easily bypassed, while stronger approaches involving government identification, facial-age estimation, payment information, or mobile-network data could raise questions around privacy, data minimisation, security, accessibility, and inclusion.
The rules would also need to account for differences between various types of online services, including social networks, messaging platforms, gaming services, video platforms, educational services, and AI assistants.
India Debate Mirrors Global Action
India’s discussion is also developing alongside regulatory efforts in other countries. Australia has introduced restrictions on social media accounts for users under 16, while France has approved measures aimed at preventing access for users under 15. The UK has also announced plans for an under-16 framework.
The three Bills currently listed in Parliament do not establish a final national policy for social-media access by minors. However, their introduction moves the issue beyond individual state-level discussions and places age assurance, parental consent, and child online safety more directly within India’s parliamentary debate.
