Micah Jonah
January 31, 2026
An ally of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has proposed legislation seeking to ban children from accessing social media platforms, as global debate intensifies over the impact of digital platforms on young people’s health and safety.
The proposal was put forward by Indian lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu, a member of the Telugu Desam Party, which plays a key role in the coalition government led by Modi. The bill aims to prohibit individuals under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining social media accounts.
Devarayalu said the proposal was driven by concerns over rising addiction among children and the volume of data generated by Indian users for foreign technology companies. He argued that social media platforms benefit economically and strategically from user data produced in India while the country bears the social consequences.
Under the proposed Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, social media companies would be responsible for verifying users’ ages. Accounts found to belong to users under 16 would be disabled.
India currently does not enforce a minimum age requirement for access to social media platforms, despite being one of the world’s largest internet and smartphone markets. The country has over a billion internet users and remains a key growth market for global technology companies.
The proposal follows similar actions in other countries. Australia recently introduced a ban on social media use for children under 16, while France has backed legislation restricting access for those under 15. Other European countries are also examining age based limits.
Major technology companies operating in India have not publicly commented on the proposed bill. The Indian government has also not issued an official response.
Although the bill was introduced as a private member’s proposal and not by a federal minister, such initiatives often spark parliamentary debate and can influence future legislation.
