{"id":104361,"date":"2026-01-31T16:32:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T16:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/modi-ally-proposes-social-media-ban-for-indias-teens-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T16:32:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T16:32:04","slug":"modi-ally-proposes-social-media-ban-for-indias-teens-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/modi-ally-proposes-social-media-ban-for-indias-teens-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Modi ally proposes social media ban for India’s teens | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
Joins a growing list of nations proposing age-based restrictions to protect minors from online harms<\/p>\n
The move comes as Meta, ByteDance’s TikTok and YouTube face hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of children and school districts about the addictive nature of social media. PHOTO: PEXELS <\/p>\n
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An ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed a bill to ban social media for children, as the world’s biggest market for Meta and YouTube joins a global debate on the impact of social media on young people’s health and safety.<\/p>\n
“Not only are our children becoming addicted to social media, but India is also one of the world’s largest producers of data for foreign platforms,” lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu told Reuters on Friday.<\/p>\n
“Based on this data, these companies are creating advanced AI systems, effectively turning Indian users into unpaid data providers, while the strategic and economic benefits are reaped elsewhere,” he said.<\/p>\n
Australia last month became the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access in a move welcomed by many parents and child advocates but criticised by major technology companies and free-speech advocates. France’s National Assembly this week backed legislation to ban children under 15 from social media, while Britain, Denmark and Greece are studying the issue.<\/p>\n
Facebook operator Meta META.O, YouTube-parent Alphabet GOOGL.O and X did not respond on Saturday to emails seeking comment on the Indian legislation. Meta has said it backs laws for parental oversight but that “governments considering bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites.”<\/p>\n
India’s IT ministry did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n