Australia Bans Social Media. Should India Too?

Australia has enacted a world-first law prohibiting children under 16 from joining any major social media platform, sparking global debate. The law imposes strict age-verification requirements on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X and Reddit. Non-compliance may lead to penalties of up to AUD 49.5 million. The Australian government claims the measure is necessary to address rising concerns about teen mental health, cyberbullying, and harmful online content. According to the eSafety Commissioner’s transparency data, 95% of Australian children aged 13–15 and 80% of children aged 8–12 were already using social media prior to the law taking effect, despite existing age restrictions.

In India, however, the reality is different in scale and enforcement challenges. Studies indicate 76% of Indian children aged 14–16 use smartphones and social media regularly, while 60% of those aged 9–17 spend more than three hours daily on online platforms. Several surveys show that adolescents between 13–19 years old constitute nearly one-third of India’s entire social-media user base. Indian parents, too, express concern—around 66% of urban parents surveyed support mandatory parental consent before minors can join social network

Yet, unlike Australia, India has not considered a blanket ban. Experts argue that such a move may be impractical in a nation with a massive youth population, widespread device sharing, and limited enforcement infrastructure. A total ban could also push minors toward VPNs, underground apps or identity misrepresentation. While the proposed Digital India Act may revisit age-verification frameworks, Indian policymakers are currently more inclined toward strengthening parental controls, digital-literacy programmes and platform accountability rather than banning access outright.

The contrasting approaches highlight a critical question for India: Should the country adopt an Australian-style prohibition for minors, or build a hybrid regime focused on consent, education and safer platform design?