India may be considering stricter rules for children using social media, following concerns raised by the Supreme Court about minors’ access to online platforms. The Centre has been asked to examine whether statutory safeguards can be introduced for social media accounts operated by users below 18.

Under the proposal being discussed, children below 18 could face restrictions on independently creating social media accounts, with measures such as parental consent and age verification among the safeguards being considered. However, this is not yet a blanket ban currently in force; the details and implementation framework would depend on any rules or amendments ultimately introduced by the government.

Stricter Social Media Safeguards for Minors

The discussion comes amid growing concerns about children’s exposure to potentially harmful online content and the broader impact of social media on minors. The proposed approach could place greater responsibility on platforms and introduce additional requirements for creating and managing accounts belonging to children.

The development also comes as countries including Australia have introduced stronger age-related restrictions on social media use. In India, however, the exact age-verification process, parental-consent requirements, platforms covered, and timeline for implementation are yet to be finalised.

What Happens Next?

The Centre is expected to examine the legal and regulatory framework before deciding how such restrictions could be implemented. Until any new rules officially come into effect, social media access for under-18 users in India should not be described as already banned.