An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition government, Member of Parliament L. S. K. Devarayalu, on Friday proposed a bill to ban social media use for children under 16. The proposal, titled the Social Media (Age Limit and Online Safety) Bill, seeks to prohibit minors from creating, using, or maintaining social media accounts, with platforms required to deactivate such accounts and verify user ages. The initiative comes amid global discussions on youth safety and mental health, particularly in major markets for platforms like Meta, YouTube, and X.

Devarayalu argued that Indian children are not only addicted to social media but that Indian user data is being exploited by foreign platforms to develop advanced artificial intelligence systems, with strategic and economic benefits flowing abroad. India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market with 750 million devices and one billion internet users, currently has no minimum age limit for social media use.

The bill, introduced as a private member’s bill, is not government-sponsored but could influence parliamentary debate. Similar restrictions have been adopted or studied in countries such as Australia, France, Britain, Denmark, and Greece.