Economic Survey calls for social media age limit: How this will this tackle digital addiction

At least two Indian states – Andhra Pradesh and Goa – are looking at banning social media for children. In India, its data protection framework has stated that tech companies offering services to those under 18 years will have to seek consent from parents. India’s framework also prohibits behavioural tracking and targeted advertising to children. It has been notified but is yet to come into effect.

“Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content. Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the Survey said.

It also said that simpler devices, such as basic phones or education-only tablets, should be promoted among children along with enforced usage limits and content filters. This could reduce their exposure to harmful material, including violent, sexual, or gambling-related content, the Survey said.

Australian template

Last year, Australia became the first country in the world to enforce a minimum age for social media use, requiring platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Snap to block more than a million accounts of users below the age of 16. The Australian legislation, which has drawn criticism from tech companies but support from parents, is likely to set a template for a broader global push to tighten regulation of young users’ online safety.

According to the new law, called the ‘Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act’, age-restricted platforms will be expected to take “reasonable” steps to find existing accounts held by under-16s, and deactivate or remove those accounts, prevent them from opening new accounts, including prohibiting any workarounds that may allow under-16s to bypass the restrictions. Platforms also need to have processes to correct errors if someone is mistakenly missed by or included in the restrictions, so no one’s account is removed unfairly.

According to the Australian government, the restrictions aim to protect young people from “pressures and risks” that users can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts. These come from design features that encourage them to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing. A government regulator, through a survey, had earlier found that more than half of young Australians have faced cyberbullying on social media platforms.