Children Under 13 May Need Parental Consent to Join Social Media, Gaming Platforms Under Proposed Bill
Children below the age of 13 may be prohibited from creating accounts on social media and online gaming platforms without verified parental consent under a proposed private member’s bill introduced by BJP MP Baijayant Panda. The Safeguarding Healthy Internet Environments for Little Digital-Natives (SHIELD) Bill, 2025, seeks to establish stronger safeguards for children using digital platforms. The proposed legislation would also prevent platforms from tracking, profiling or serving personalised advertisements to minors. The bill was listed for introduction in Parliament on Friday but could not be taken up as proceedings were disrupted by repeated adjournments. Another private member’s bill on preventing the misuse of artificial intelligence to generate realistic replicas of individuals was also scheduled for introduction. Under the proposed legislation, platforms accessible to minors would be required to implement age-verification mechanisms and provide parental-control dashboards. These tools would enable parents or guardians to monitor online activity, adjust privacy settings and control children’s screen time. The SHIELD Bill defines a child as an individual below 18 years of age and proposes specific safety obligations for social media networks, online gaming services and other digital intermediaries. The legislation seeks to prohibit platforms from collecting or using children’s data for tracking, profiling or personalised advertising. It would also require platforms to take measures to limit minors’ exposure to potentially harmful material, including pornography, gambling and simulated betting, violent or extremist content, and information related to drugs. Companies found violating the proposed provisions could face fines of up to ₹10 crore. In cases involving repeated or deliberate violations, authorities could potentially order the temporary suspension or blocking of services under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. However, the proposed legislation still faces a long legislative path. Private members’ bills are rarely enacted into law, with only a small number having successfully cleared Parliament since Independence. Source: Hindustan Times
