Children and Social Media in India: Rules, Risks and Gaps in Protection

Children and Social Media in India Latest News

• India is relying on a patchwork of laws and platform-led measures to protect children on social media. Risks include exposure to harmful content, online grooming, and cybercrime. 
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 mandates parental consent before platforms can process children’s data. The IT Act and POCSO Act provide additional criminal provisions. 
• Platforms are also using age-gating, parental controls, and child-focused content ecosystems. The government is considering a graded approach to regulate children’s access to social media. 
• However, experts warn that enforcement gaps, technological loopholes, and easy age misrepresentation continue to undermine these safeguards.

Risks for Children in the Online Space

• Exposure to Harmful Content – Increased screen time exposes children to inappropriate and harmful content. This can negatively impact mental health, leading to anxiety, stress, and social isolation.
• Threat of Online Grooming – Children are vulnerable to online grooming, where predators exploit them through digital platforms. This poses serious risks to their safety and well-being.
• Rising Cybercrime Against Children – NCRB data shows a 32% increase in cybercrimes against children (2021–2022). Indicates growing threats as more children engage online. 

Increasing Internet Usage Among Children

• A NITI Aayog report reveals the following average daily online usage among Indian children in 2023:
  • Up to 5 years: ~1.5 hours daily (educational content, games)
  • 6–10 years: ~2.5 hours (social media, gaming, videos)
  • 11–15 years: ~4 hours daily
  • 16–18 years: ~6 hours daily
• As screen time rises sharply with age, so does exposure to unregulated content and online risks. 
• The data underscores the urgency of stronger child safety frameworks in India’s digital space.

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India’s Regulatory Framework for Children on the Internet

• India has developed a multi-layered framework combining legislation, platform regulations, and educational initiatives to protect children online. 
• However, critics note that enforcement remains inconsistent.

Data Protection

• Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, companies collecting data of users under 18 must obtain parental or guardian consent. 
• Platforms are also prohibited from tracking or monitoring children’s behaviour and serving them targeted advertisements. 
• A key concern, however, is that children can easily bypass these protections by misrepresenting their age.

Laws Against Online Exploitation

• Key laws addressing child safety online include:
  • Information Technology Act, 2000 – Criminalises the creation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
  • POCSO Act, 2012 — Defines and penalises online sexual exploitation and grooming.
  • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Extends liability to digital offences including trafficking and harassment of children.
  • Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 — Addresses online facilitation of child exploitation.
• However, there are persistent weaknesses in digital forensic capacity, law-enforcement training, and the uneven functioning of Special POCSO Courts, all of which limit the effective investigation and prosecution of offences.

Content Classification and Parental Controls

• Under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, OTT platforms must classify their content into five age-based categories:
  • U, U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, A 
• Mandatory measures include: 
  • Parental locks (U/A 13+ and above) 
  • Age verification (Adult content)

Screen Time and Digital Wellness in Education

• The Ministry of Education introduced the PRAGYATA Guidelines in July 2020, recommending age-appropriate screen time limits for students. 
• The guidelines aim to safeguard both the safety and academic welfare of children in a digital learning environment.

Age-Gating Measures by Social Media Platforms

• Several major social media and tech platforms have introduced age-gating measures and child-safety tools, though their effectiveness remains a subject of debate.

Google’s Parental Control System

• Minimum age to create a Google account in India is 13 years. 
• For children below 13, parents can use Family Link to: 
  • Monitor activity 
  • Block inappropriate content 
  • Approve app downloads and manage permissions 
• At 13, children can manage their accounts independently, though parents are notified if supervision ends.

Instagram’s Teen Safety Features

• Instagram offers ‘Teen Accounts’ with built-in protections. 
• Users under 16 require parental approval to relax safety settings. 
• Aims to provide a safer default environment for young users.

Child-Focused Platforms

• Platforms like YouTube Kids provide a controlled content environment. 
• Parents can customise content based on the child’s age. 
• Instagram had planned a kids-only app, but development was paused in 2021.

Limitations and Criticism

• These measures are not fully effective.
• Studies suggest many safety tools can be easily bypassed or ineffective.
• Platforms dispute such findings but concerns about real-world effectiveness remain.

Source: IE