Pratidin
Science and technology21 September 2026The Hindu, Page 9

How the EU plans to keep children under 15 off social media

Australia banned it for under-16s. Now Europe moves. Should India?

Published 21 September 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

An explainer in The Hindu looks at the European Union's plan to keep children under 15 off social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set out the approach in her State of the Union speech in September, with a proposed 'EU Kids Act' covering social media, video-sharing platforms, AI chatbots and online games.

According to leaked draft proposals reported before the announcement, children under 15 would not be able to open their own accounts, with a staged regime: no accounts at all for under-3s, parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services for ages 3 to 12, and parent-opened accounts on mainstream platforms for older children below 15. The Commission's draft notes that current EU law sets no minimum age for platforms with risky features. The EU's age-verification app, announced as ready in April 2026, lets users confirm their age using a passport or ID card.

Europe is following Australia, whose ban on under-16s holding accounts on major platforms took effect in December 2025. France passed its own under-15 ban, but AFP reported that a top French court struck it down in August on freedom of expression grounds, which is one reason the EU is designing its rules carefully. In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires verifiable parental consent before processing the data of anyone under 18.

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Prelims facts

  • Australia's law barring under-16s from major social media platforms took effect in December 2025.
  • India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires verifiable parental consent to process the data of anyone under 18.
  • Age verification raises privacy concerns because it may require collecting identity data from all users.

Quick recall

What age limit is the EU planning for social media accounts?
Children under 15 would not be able to open their own accounts.
What is the proposed EU law called?
The EU Kids Act.
What would apply to children aged 3 to 12 under the draft?
Parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services.
When did Australia's under-16 social media ban take effect?
In December 2025.
What happened to France's under-15 ban, according to AFP?
A top French court struck it down in August 2026 on freedom of expression grounds.
How does the EU's age-verification app work?
Users confirm their age with a passport or ID card; it was announced as ready in April 2026.
How does India's DPDP Act protect children online?
It requires verifiable parental consent before processing data of anyone under 18.
What does the DPDP Act bar in relation to children?
Tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted advertising directed at children.

Prelims practice question

Under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, a 'child' means a person below the age of:

  1. 13
  2. 15
  3. 16
  4. 18
Show answer

Answer: (d) 18. The DPDP Act defines a child as anyone under 18, whose data needs verifiable parental consent.

Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions

Recurring theme: Children, digital technology and regulation of social media

  1. 2025 · GS2 · 15 marksCovers one partUse it in the body

    The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has to address the challenges faced by children in the digital era. Examine the existing policies and suggest measures the Commission can initiate to tackle the issue.

    How to use this

    Supplies India's existing legal position and comparative international measures you can propose for child safety online.

    • India's DPDP Act, 2023 requires verifiable parental consent to process data of anyone under 18 and bars tracking and targeted ads to children.
    • Leaked drafts of the EU's proposed Kids Act would bar under-15s from opening their own accounts; Australia's under-16 ban on major platforms took effect in December 2025.
    • Favour safety-by-design rules, default privacy settings for minors, platform accountability and digital literacy for children and parents over bans alone.
  2. 2023 · GS1 · 10 marksCovers one partUse it in the body

    Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children.

    How to use this

    Gives the harms to children from screen and social media use that underpin new age limits.

    • Note evidence linking heavy social media use to anxiety, sleep loss and body-image problems among children.
    • Concern over cyberbullying, addictive design and sexual exploitation has led Australia and the EU to restrict children's social media use.
    • Caution that bans can cut some children off from learning and community, and suggest digital literacy for children and parents.
  3. 2017 · EssayCovers one partUse it in the example

    Social media is inherently a selfish medium

    How to use this

    Gives a contemporary example of platforms designed around engagement, and of the backlash, for a balanced essay.

    • Note that platforms profit from engagement-maximising design aimed at minors.
    • The EU plans an 'EU Kids Act' covering social media, video platforms, AI chatbots and online games, following Australia's under-16 ban of December 2025.
    • A top French court struck down France's under-15 ban in August on freedom of expression grounds, AFP reported, a counterpoint on the value of open access.
Also asked on this theme
  1. 2026 · GS3 · 10 marks

    Explain how fake news and disinformation pose threat to Internal Security and Public Order in Indian context? In this regard, discuss salient features of amendments in respect of Information Technology (Intermediatory Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

    Regulating what platforms must do for users, including minors, is part of the same intermediary-regulation debate.

  2. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marks

    Social media and encrypting messaging services pose a serious security challenge. What measures have been adopted at various levels to address the security implications of social media? Also suggest any other remedies to address the problem.

    Platform regulation abroad, including age verification, adds to the 'measures at various levels' part of this answer.

Mains practice question

Should India restrict children's access to social media? Discuss the benefits, risks and alternatives. (150 words)

Model answer

Concern over cyberbullying, addictive design, sexual exploitation and mental health has led Australia and the EU to restrict children's social media use.

Case for restriction

  • Evidence links heavy use to anxiety, sleep loss and body-image problems.
  • Platforms profit from engagement-maximising design aimed at minors.

Risks

  • Privacy: age verification may require identity documents from all users.
  • Workarounds: children use VPNs or fake ages.
  • Digital divide: restricts access to learning and community for some children.

India's position

The DPDP Act requires verifiable parental consent for under-18s and bars tracking and targeted ads to children.

Alternatives

  • Safety-by-design rules and default privacy settings for minors.
  • Platform accountability for harmful content.
  • Digital literacy for children and parents.

Protecting children online works best through platform duties and education, not only age bans.

The basics

Why this matters

Concerns about addiction, harmful content and exploitation have pushed governments to set minimum ages for social media. The EU now plans to keep children under 15 off platforms, following Australia. India so far relies on parental consent under its data law.

Under 15
Age below which the EU plans to bar children from opening their own accounts
Announced in September 2026 through the proposed EU Kids Act.

The EU's staged plan

The draft proposal varies rules by age.

Proposed EU age rules
  1. 1Under 3No accounts.
  2. 23 to 12Parent-controlled accounts on child-friendly services.
  3. 313 and 14Parent-opened accounts on mainstream platforms.
  4. 415 and aboveOwn accounts.

Three approaches

Countries differ in how they protect children online.

Ban versus consent
Age ban (Australia, EU plan)
  • Minimum age for accounts
  • Platforms must verify age
  • Privacy and free speech concerns
vs
Consent (India's DPDP Act)
  • Parental consent under 18
  • No tracking or targeted ads
  • Enforcement depends on platforms

How we got here

Momentum has built quickly.

Child online safety
  1. 2023India's DPDP Act
  2. Dec 2025Australia's under-16 ban takes effect
  3. Apr 2026EU age-verification app ready
  4. Aug 2026French court reportedly strikes down France's ban
  5. Sep 2026EU sets out under-15 plan

The hard parts

Age verification can mean collecting ID from all users. The EU builds on its Digital Services Act, and Australia's Online Safety Act (Australia) underpins its ban. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act takes a consent route.

You now know

  • The EU plans to bar children under 15 from opening their own accounts.
  • Australia's under-16 ban took effect in December 2025.
  • India's DPDP Act requires verifiable parental consent for under-18s.
  • Age verification raises privacy concerns.

Go deeper

In one line: Europe plans to keep children under 15 off social media, joining Australia, while India so far relies on parental consent under its data law.

Why it matters for UPSC

GS2 (governance, issues relating to children) and GS3 (cyber security). Online child safety is a fast-growing policy theme worldwide.

The core idea

Governments are moving from asking platforms to be safer towards setting a minimum age. The EU's plan is staged: no accounts for the youngest, parent-controlled ones for younger children, and parent-opened ones for older children below 15. Two problems follow every such plan. Age verification can mean collecting ID from everyone, which is a privacy risk. And courts may see bans as limiting expression, as reportedly happened in France. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act takes a consent-based route instead.

Numbers and dates to remember

  • Under 15: the EU plan; under 16: Australia (December 2025).
  • Under 18: 'child' under India's DPDP Act.
  • April 2026: EU age-verification app ready.

Where to go next

In one line: Minimum age laws are easy to announce and hard to enforce without creating new privacy risks.

Enforcement problems

Children can lie about age or use parents' accounts; strict checks need IDs or face scans for everyone.

Privacy-preserving verification

The EU's app is designed to confirm age without sharing identity with the platform.

Rights concerns

Bans may limit young people's access to information, community and expression; a French court reportedly struck down a ban on those grounds.

India's path

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act requires parental consent and bans tracking and targeted ads for children, but rules on verification are still being worked out.

Links

Age verification, the EU's Digital Services Act and the Online Safety Act (Australia).

Where to go next

Digital Personal Data Protection Act

India's approach

In one line: India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 governs how organisations collect and use personal data.

Children

Anyone under 18 is a child; processing their data needs verifiable parental consent, and tracking, behavioural monitoring and targeted ads are barred.

Structure

Data fiduciaries, data principals' rights, and a Data Protection Board to handle complaints.

Rules

The DPDP Rules were notified in 2025, with phased implementation.

Where to go next

Digital Personal Data Protection Act: every story that connects to it (2)

Age verification

The privacy trade-off

In one line: Age verification checks whether a user meets a minimum age before allowing access.

Methods

Government ID checks, age estimation from face scans, bank or telecom data, and digital identity wallets.

Trade-off

Stronger checks protect children but collect sensitive data from everyone.

Privacy-friendly designs

Tokens that confirm only 'over 15' without revealing identity, as in the EU's app.

Where to go next

Digital Services Act

The EU's platform rulebook

In one line: The EU's Digital Services Act sets rules for online platforms on illegal content, transparency and user protection.

Key duties

Removing illegal content, explaining recommendation systems and assessing systemic risks for very large platforms.

Minors

Platforms must protect minors' privacy and safety and cannot target them with ads based on profiling.

Relevance

The planned child age rules build on this framework.

Where to go next

Online Safety Act (Australia)

The first national ban

In one line: Australia's Online Safety Act, 2021 created a framework for online safety, run by the eSafety Commissioner.

The age rule

A 2024 amendment requires major social media platforms to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, effective December 2025.

Enforcement

Platforms face large fines for failing to take reasonable steps.

Significance

It was the first national minimum age for social media.

Where to go next

Take the 21 September 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers

Syllabus

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