India Could Adopt an Australia-Like Teen Social Media Ban

Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 has triggered fresh policy conversations across countries on regulating teen social media use, as India begins to weigh its own approach.

This update provides an overview of Australia’s new law and the developments that have unfolded in India over the past few weeks in its wake.

Australia’s social media minimum age law

Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 prescribes a minimum age of 16 years for social media use and requires certain platforms, classified as “age-restricted social media platforms,” to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts. These platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube.

The amendment, introduced in late 2024 to the Online Safety Act 2021, came into effect on December 10, 2025. The new framework also incorporates robust privacy safeguards and significant penalties for non-compliance with the minimum age obligation.

Recent developments in India

India has witnessed several notable developments in the past few weeks in the wake of Australia’s landmark move.

Madras High Court’s observations in parental controls plea

In an order dated December 12, 2025, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court observed that the Union of India could explore the possibility of enacting an Australia-like law.[1] The case arose from a 2018 petition seeking implementation of an office letter dated March 27, 2017, issued by the Department of Telecommunications, which requested Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to make arrangements to implement suitable parental control filters and to create awareness among subscribers regarding network-level and device-level filters.

The plea sought to address the broader issue of children’s easy access to explicit online content, rather than being confined to social media platforms alone.

Economic Survey flags digital addiction, calls for age verification by platforms

The Economic Survey 2025–26, released on January 29, 2026, highlighted the growing problem of digital addiction among Indian youth. It emphasised the need to make platforms responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising.

Private Member’s Bill proposing minimum age for social media

Reports suggest that a Private Member’s Bill, titled the Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill, is likely to be introduced by Parliamentarian Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu. The Bill proposes prohibiting users below 16 years of age from creating or maintaining social media accounts and places an obligation on platforms to adopt highly effective age-verification mechanisms.

State-level initiatives and global momentum

At the state level, several governments have begun examining the issue:

• Maharashtra: A task force has been proposed to recommend measures to address the harmful effects of social media on children.
• Andhra Pradesh: A group of ministers has been constituted to examine whether access to social media should be restricted or banned for children under 16.
• Goa: Authorities are evaluating the feasibility of implementing an Australia-like ban.
• Kerala: The General Education Department has invited public inputs on addressing social media addiction among children.

Globally, the issue continues to attract attention, with countries such as the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Germany actively deliberating on social media restrictions for children.

Concluding thoughts

While India has taken steps to address digital addiction and financial harm among youth through the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, the question of a teen social media ban remains open. The coming months will be critical, as Australia’s framework plays out in practice, other countries examine similar models, and India’s approach takes shape.

References:

[1] S. Vijayakumar v. Union of India & Ors., W.P.(MD) No.23323 of 2018 and W.M.P.(MD) Nos.21188 & 21189 of 2018