By Manoj Kumar and Munsif Vengattil
NEW DELHI, Jan 29 (Reuters) – India’s chief economic adviser proposed age-based limits on access to social media platforms he said were “predatory” in their approach to keeping users online, signalling a potential blow to Meta and YouTube in their largest user market.
Such a shift would pull India in line with a growing global trend, after Australia became the first nation last year to ban social media for children younger than 16.
On Monday, France’s National Assembly backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media and Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.
The adviser, V. Anantha Nageswaran, recommended in India’s annual economic survey that families promote screen-time limits, device-free hours and shared offline activities.
“Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content,” he wrote in the survey, which was published on Thursday.
“Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults.”
INDIA A HUGE MARKET FOR SOCIAL MEDIA FIRMS
The recommendations are not binding, but are reflected in policy discussions in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Past recommendations have prompted tax reforms, easing rules on Chinese investment and stronger digital infrastructure.
India, the world’s No. 2 smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps, and does not set a minimum age for access.
Research firm DataReportal says YouTube has 500 million users in India, Facebook 403 million, while Instagram has 481 million.
Facebook operator Meta, YouTube-parent Alphabet and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta has previously said it backs laws for parental oversight while adding: “Governments considering bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.”
New Delhi has repeatedly clashed with social media companies like Meta and X over the years over content moderation, local data storage, user safety and not complying with content takedown orders promptly.
In a press briefing, Nageswaran on Thursday called the platforms “predatory” in their approach to maximise user engagement and time spent by users, adding that “such algorithms are particularly targeted at youngsters between the ages of 15 and 24.”
Cheap telecom data plans have boosted use of social media apps in recent years, with 75% of young smartphone users on the apps, the survey report said.
“Digital addiction negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’, and reduced focus,” Nageswaran added.
‘CHILDREN SLIPPING INTO RELENTLESS USAGE’
The recommendation follows growing efforts among Indian states to rein in screen time for young people.
The coastal state of Goa and the southern state of Andhra Pradesh have said they are studying Australia’s regulatory framework, with an eye to similar bans for children.
“Trust in social media is breaking down,” Nara Lokesh, the infotech minister in Andhra Pradesh, wrote on X on Thursday, saying the state would study legal frameworks for age-appropriate access.
“Children are slipping into relentless usage, affecting their attention spans and education.”
Nageswaran said “we are very happy” the two states are considering restrictions for children.
Some activists and tech experts have called for measures to help children and parents develop healthy and safe social media usage, saying that age-based curbs do not work as children can bypass them with fake identification documents.
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar, Aditi Shah, Arpan Chaturvedi, Munsif Vengattil; Writing by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Neil Fullick, Clarence Fernandez, Philippa Fletcher)
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