Economic Survey 2025–26: Age Limits & Ad Restrictions on Social Media for Children

The Economic Survey 2025–26 has recommended the introduction of age-based limits on social media usage and restrictions on digital advertisements targeted at children, citing growing concerns over digital addiction and online harm among young users.

Key Recommendations of the Survey

• Age-Based Access Limits: Implementing strict thresholds for social media usage to protect vulnerable younger users from harmful content.
• Targeted Advertising Ban: Restricting data-driven, behavioral advertisements that profile and target children.
• Enforcement Responsibility: Shifting the burden of age verification and “age-appropriate defaults” onto the tech platforms (Meta, Google, etc.).
• Feature Restrictions: Regulating high-engagement design elements such as auto-play features and gambling-like app mechanics.
• Promoting Alternative Hardware: Encouraging the use of basic phones or “education-only tablets” with pre-installed filters to minimize exposure to violent or sexual content.

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The “Australian Template” and Global Trends

The Survey references international precedents to justify the need for domestic regulation:

• The Australian Model: Australia’s ‘Online Safety Amendment Act’ mandates a minimum age of 16 for social media. Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to deactivate accounts of minors and prevent bypass workarounds.
• Global Push: France has also voted to restrict social media for those under 15, signaling a global shift toward tightening online safety for minors.
• The Indian Scenario: States like Andhra Pradesh and Goa are already considering independent bans, indicating a growing political consensus at the sub-national level.

Current Regulatory Framework in India

• Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act: Once fully notified, this framework requires tech companies to seek explicit parental consent for users under 18.
• Tracking Prohibitions: The current laws already prohibit behavioral tracking and targeted advertising for children, though enforcement remains a challenge.

Critical Impediments to Implementation

• Enforcement Hurdles: Technical difficulties in verifying age without infringing on the privacy of adult users (e.g., biometric or ID-linked verification).
• Platform Resistance: Major tech giants view India as their largest user base; restrictive laws could impact their ad-based revenue models.
• The “Workaround” Problem: Tech-savvy minors often use VPNs or fake birthdays to bypass age gates, making legislative enforcement difficult.
• Digital Divide: Over-regulation could inadvertently limit access to educational resources for children in remote areas who rely on general-purpose platforms.

Way Forward

• Balanced Regulation: Moving toward “Safety by Design”, where apps are built with child-protection features enabled by default rather than as an afterthought.
• Digital Literacy: Complementing legal bans with educational programs for parents and teachers to manage screen time effectively.
• Strengthening DPDP Rules: Expediting the notification of the DPDP Act to provide a clear legal mandate for parental consent and data protection.

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Conclusion

The Economic Survey signals a shift from neutral platforms to regulated public spaces for social media. While the Australian model may improve child safety, India must ensure privacy-preserving age verification without undermining the digital empowerment of youth.

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