Social Media Regulation & Minors | UPSC | UPSCPDF

UPSCPDF Editorial Analysis: should India ban social media for under-16s or regulate platforms? DPDP Act 2023, duty of care, MCQs, Mains, Essay & Interview.

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Australia's under-16 social media ban, the PM's praise, and the states weighing bans — set against the evidence, children's rights, and India's own DPDP Act, 2023. Should India lock the door, or redesign the house? At the Australia–India Annual Leaders' Summit in Melbourne (9 July 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Australia's world-first law barring under-16s from holding social media accounts, saying India was "learning" from Australia's approach to online safety. His remarks land amid growing momentum at home: Karnataka has moved to restrict social media access for children below 16, and Andhra Pradesh has signalled comparable measures. An editorial critique cautions against this direction. It argues that a blanket age ban is a simplistic answer to a genuinely complex problem. While observational studies link adolescent social media use to poorer mental health — the association is stronger for girls — the evidence for causation, and especially for age bans improving