Govt in talks with industry on age-based norms for social media: Vaishnaw

New Delhi: Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the government has initiated a dialogue with the industry on age-based restrictions for social media platforms, citing the need to protect children and society from online harms.

Responding to a question on whether India is considering age-based restrictions, Vaishnaw said there is “definitely” a need to safeguard children and address harms, and that discussions are underway on what further regulation may be required beyond steps already taken.

“There is a need for protecting our children, protecting our society from these harms,” Vaishnaw said.

He added that the Parliament’s IT committee has also studied the issue and made certain recommendations.

Vaishnaw said age-based regulation is now widely accepted globally. He also pointed to India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) framework, saying age-based differentiation was built in when the law was created, particularly around what content and experiences are accessible to young people.

Under the DPDP Act, children are defined as those under 18, and platforms processing children’s personal data are subject to tighter obligations, including restrictions linked to a child’s well-being and curbs on practices such as tracking and targeted advertising

“It was part of our DPDP when we created this age-based differentiation on the content which is accessible to young people,” Vaishnaw said.

Several countries have moved to tighten youth access to social media and age-gated online services. Australia has introduced under-16 social media age restrictions, requiring platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, with the regime in effect from December 10, 2025.

In the UK, the Online Safety Act has brought in child-safety duties for platforms, including “highly effective” age assurance measures to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content.

France has mandated parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts, alongside requirements for platforms to verify age and consent.

The European Union, under the Digital Services Act, has issued guidelines on protecting minors online, including expectations for platform design and safeguards for children’s privacy, safety and security.