India’s Economic Survey flags age-based limits for social media

Social media ban

India’s Economic Survey raised age-based restrictions on social media use as an issue for discussion, even as several countries have already taken steps to limit minors’ access to social media platforms.

“Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the Economic Survey for 2025-26, released by the Ministry of Finance, said.

The Indian federal government document speaks to a global concern over the wide usage of social media and its detrimental impact, which has led to policymakers in Indonesia, Denmark and other nations to rein in technology platforms. Australia recently instituted a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16.

“As a state, we are studying Australia’s under-16 law, and yes, I believe we need to create a strong legal enactment,” Nara Lokesh, minister of technology and human resources for the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, told Bloomberg News in an interview last week.