India’s chief economic adviser urges country to consider age-based curbs on social media

India’s chief economic adviser suggested setting age-based restrictions on social media platforms, calling them “predatory” in their tactics to keep users engaged. This move could deal a significant blow to Meta and YouTube in their biggest user market.

This move would bring India in step with a growing global trend, following Australia’s lead last year as the first country to ban social media for children under 16.

On Monday, France’s National Assembly backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media and Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.

The adviser, V. Anantha Nageswaran, recommended in India’s annual economic survey that families promote screen-time limits, device-free hours and shared offline activities.

“Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content,” he wrote in the survey, which was published on Thursday.

“Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults.”

The recommendations are not binding, but are reflected in policy discussions in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Past recommendations have prompted tax reforms, easing rules on Chinese investment and stronger digital infrastructure.

India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a major growth hub for social media apps, with no minimum age requirement for access.

Research firm DataReportal says YouTube has 500 million users in India, Facebook 403 million, while Instagram has 481 million.

Facebook’s parent company Meta (META.O), YouTube’s parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O), and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meta has previously stated it supports laws for parental oversight, adding that governments considering bans should be cautious not to drive teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.

Over the years, New Delhi has often found itself at odds with social media giants like Meta and X, sparring over issues like content moderation, local data storage, user safety, and delays in complying with content takedown orders.

In a press briefing, Nageswaran on Thursday called the platforms “predatory” in their approach to maximise user engagement and time spent by users, adding that “such algorithms are particularly targeted at youngsters between the ages of 15 and 24.”

Cheap telecom data plans have boosted use of social media apps in recent years, with 75% of young smartphone users on the apps, the survey report said.

“Digital addiction negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity due to distractions, ‘sleep debt’, and reduced focus,” Nageswaran added.

The recommendation follows growing efforts among Indian states to rein in screen time for young people.

Goa, a coastal state, and Andhra Pradesh in the south have announced they’re looking into Australia’s regulatory framework, considering similar bans for children.

“Trust in social media is breaking down,” Nara Lokesh, the infotech minister in Andhra Pradesh, wrote on X on Thursday, saying the state would study legal frameworks for age-appropriate access.

“Children are slipping into relentless usage, affecting their attention spans and education.”

Nageswaran said “we are very happy” the two states are considering restrictions for children.

Some activists and tech experts have called for measures to help children and parents develop healthy and safe social media usage, saying that age-based curbs do not work as children can bypass them with fake identification documents.