New Delhi: An MP from an syndication party of the ruling NDA led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a ban on social media for children. The proposal suggests prohibiting children under 16 years of age from creating and operating social media accounts. This initiative comes at a time when a global debate is intensifying regarding the impact of social media on the health and safety of young people, plane in India, considered the world's largest market for companies like Meta and YouTube.
Who put forward the proposal?
The proposal was put forward by L.S.K. Devarayalu, a Member of Parliament from the Telugu Desam Party. He told Reuters on Friday, "Not only are our children rhadamanthine fond to social media, but India is moreover one of the world's largest data producers for foreign platforms." Devarayalu so-called that companies are using this data to build wide AI systems and turning Indian users into "unpaid data providers," while the strategic and economic benefits are stuff reaped elsewhere. Starting with Australia: Australia became the first country to implement such a ban last month, prohibiting social media for children under 16. According to reports, this move was welcomed by many parents and child rights advocates, but criticized by major tech companies and proponents of self-rule of expression.
What has the French National Assembly said?
In a similar vein, the French National Assembly this week supported legislation in favor of a social media ban for children under 15. Meanwhile, the UK, Denmark, and Greece are moreover studying the issue. A debate is moreover underway in Germany. Reuters reported on a proposed snout in India, describing it as a 15-page Social Media (Age Restrictions and Online Safety) Bill. The snout is not yet public, but Reuters has seen it. The snout states that no minor under the age of 16 will be unliable to "create, maintain, or possess" a social media account. If such an worth is found, it must be deactivated. In India, Mangdevrayalu wants the unshortened responsibility for verifying users' month to be placed on social media platforms. In his words, "We are taxing that the unshortened responsibility for verifying users' month be placed on social media platforms." This is a private member's bill, meaning it was not introduced in Parliament by a inside minister. However, the report noted that such bills often spark debate in Parliament and can influence the direction of legislation. India's IT ministry did not respond to a request for scuttlebutt on the proposal. Meta, YouTube's parent visitor Alphabet, and X moreover did not respond to emails sent on Saturday.
What does the report reveal?
According to the report, Meta has previously said it supports laws related to parental supervision, but "governments considering restrictions should be shielding not to push teenagers towards less safe, unregulated sites." India is the world's second-largest smartphone market, with 750 million devices and nearly 1 billion internet users. It is a crucial and rapidly growing market for social media apps. According to the report, there is no minimum age set for accessing social media in India. The government's senior economic counselor moreover drew sustentation on Thursday by saying that India should develop policies on age-based wangle limits to write "digital addiction."
