/vnd/media/agency_attachments/bGjnvN2ncYDdhj74yP9p.png)
/vnd/media/media_files/2025/12/22/australia-blocks-social-media-for-under-16s-1-2025-12-22-18-56-52.jpg)
Australia’s decision to bar children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms has placed the country at the centre of a global debate on online safety, regulation and free expression. The law, which applies to major platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, requires companies to prevent under-age access or face fines of up to AUD 49.5 million. Within days of implementation, hundreds of thousands of accounts were removed, with regulators estimating that around one million children are affected.
As governments worldwide watch closely, the question is whether such a model is feasible, or desirable, for a country like India, which has one of the world’s largest adolescent populations and a rapidly expanding digital footprint.
Why the issue matters for India
India’s young internet user base is both its strength and its vulnerability. With affordable data and widespread smartphone access, children and teenagers are online earlier and for longer than ever before. This has amplified concerns around online harassment, exposure to harmful content and cybercrime.
“Having a large adolescent population means India is proportionately more at risk,” said Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET. He pointed to research by Indian students indicating that India has the highest reported incidence of internet harassment globally, with more than 33 per cent of children saying they have been victims. Official data also shows a 32 per cent rise in cybercrimes against teenagers in recent years.
Against this backdrop, Australia’s move has reignited discussions in India about whether stronger, more interventionist regulation is needed to protect minors online.
Would a blanket ban work in India?
While Australia’s law has been welcomed by many parents and child-safety advocates, it has also faced criticism from technology companies and free-speech campaigners, who argue that such bans are difficult to enforce and risk excluding young people from legitimate online spaces for learning, creativity and social interaction.
In India, these challenges would be magnified. Verifying the age of hundreds of millions of users across diverse platforms and devices would be complex, particularly in a country where shared devices and informal digital access are common. There is also the risk that children could bypass restrictions using borrowed accounts, VPNs or false credentials, undermining the effectiveness of a blanket ban.
Moore cautioned that while Australia’s law is a significant step, its success is not guaranteed. “Although this is a huge step in the right direction, banning under-16s completely from social media could be extremely challenging to implement. It will be prudent to observe its effectiveness before deciding to follow suit,” he said.
The regulatory path India is already on
Rather than an outright ban, India has been moving towards a more calibrated regulatory approach. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act already places obligations on platforms to obtain parental consent for processing children’s data, and there are ongoing discussions around KYC-based age verification mechanisms.
Such measures could strengthen accountability without fully excluding minors from digital platforms. However, they also raise concerns around privacy, data security and the creation of large databases of children’s personal information, issues that would need careful safeguards.
A question of balance
For India, the debate is less about copying Australia’s model and more about finding a balance between protection and participation. Social media plays a growing role in education, peer support and digital literacy, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas. A complete ban could risk deepening digital divides or pushing young users into unregulated online spaces.
Moore argues that the immediate priority should be practical and enforceable safeguards. “For now, the focus should be on age verification, platform accountability, and digital awareness so that kids and teenagers can stay safe online while remaining part of the digital world,” he said.
As Australia’s ban unfolds, it will serve as a live experiment for policymakers elsewhere. For India, where the scale, diversity and stakes are far higher, the lesson may be to strengthen regulation and enforcement incrementally, rather than reach for an outright prohibition whose consequences could be hard to predict.