India's chief economic adviser has recommended considering age-based limits on social media in the government's annual economic survey, calling some platform tactics "predatory" and particularly harmful to users aged 15–24. The survey urges families to set screen-time limits, adopt device-free hours and promote offline activities, and it recommends platforms enforce age verification and age-appropriate defaults. While not binding, the suggestions could influence national policy and follow a global trend of tighter youth access rules.
India Urged To Consider Age-Based Social Media Limits As Adviser Calls Platforms "Predatory"
Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and Reddit applications are displayed on a mobile phone in this picture illustration taken on December 9, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/Illustration
India's chief economic adviser, V. Anantha Nageswaran, has urged policymakers to consider age-based restrictions on social media platforms that he described as "predatory" in the way they seek to maximize user engagement. The recommendation appears in the government's annual economic survey and could have wide implications for global tech firms such as Meta and Alphabet in India—one of their largest user markets.
What The Survey Recommends
The survey suggests families promote screen-time limits, establish device-free hours and encourage shared offline activities. It also proposes that "policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content," and that platforms be required to enforce age verification and age-appropriate default settings.
"Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults," the survey states.
Why India Matters
India is a critical growth market for social media: it is the world's No. 2 smartphone market with about 750 million devices and roughly a billion internet users. Research firm DataReportal estimates YouTube reaches about 500 million users in India, Instagram 481 million and Facebook 403 million. The country currently has no statutory minimum age to access major social platforms.
Context And Response
The advisory is not legally binding but carries influence in government policy discussions. New Delhi has previously clashed with platforms over content moderation, local data storage and compliance with takedown orders. Meta, Alphabet (YouTube) and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment; Meta has said it supports parental oversight laws while warning that blunt bans could push teens to less regulated sites.
Nageswaran described platform algorithms as particularly targeting younger people, noting they can intensify compulsive use among those aged 15-24. The survey also points to cheap mobile data and widespread smartphone access as drivers of rising social media usage among young people.
State-Level Moves And Concerns
Some states, including Goa and Andhra Pradesh, are studying Australia’s recent rules and considering similar restrictions for children. Andhra Pradesh's information technology minister said the state would examine legal frameworks to address what he called declining trust in social media and "relentless usage" among children that can harm attention spans and education.
At the same time, activists and tech experts caution that age-based curbs can be evaded with fake identity documents and emphasize the need for a mix of measures: stronger parental controls, digital literacy, platform design changes to reduce addictive features, and enforceable age-verification systems.
Implications: If adopted in some form, the recommendations could reshape platform defaults, regulatory enforcement and parental responsibilities in India, and would align the country with a growing global trend of tighter rules on youth access to social media.
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