Scrolling might soon come with an age limit. After Australia and now Spain, the global push to keep teenagers off social media is getting louder, and India is watching closely. Spain has announced plans to ban children under 16 from using social media platforms. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the government is ready to introduce the law as early as next week. If passed, Spain will become the first European country to enforce such a rule.
Australia becomes the world’s first country to ban children’s social media Australia was the first mover. In December last year, a law was passed that completely banned users under 16 from platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and X. Social media companies were ordered to shut down underage accounts and introduce strong age-verification systems. According to reports, the impact was immediate. Millions of accounts were removed within weeks. Meta alone said it deleted over 550,000 suspected under-16 accounts in Australia, though it also urged the government to rethink a “blanket ban” and work with the industry instead. Greece is also reportedly exploring similar restrictions, showing that the idea is spreading fast. Also read: Epstein files back again, with tech’s biggest names in spotlight
Why governments are cracking down on teen social media use Countries are increasingly worried about how social media affects children and teenagers. Concerns range from cyberbullying and harmful body image content to posts that promote self-harm or eating disorders. Another growing fear is digital addiction. Governments believe excessive screen time is hurting children’s mental, emotional, and social development. There are also serious safety risks. Recently, X’s AI chatbot Grok was accused of generating non-consensual nude images, raising alarms about how AI tools could be misused, especially when minors are involved. India is having the same conversation, quietly India has not announced any nationwide ban yet, but the discussion is clearly underway. The Economic Survey 2025–26 flagged digital addiction among children and teenagers as a rising concern. It warned that excessive digital exposure could harm cognitive and social growth, much like poor nutrition harms physical health.
The Survey suggested that the government should think about age-based limits on social media use and advertising targeted at children. At the state level, some leaders are already thinking along similar lines. Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh recently said the state is considering a ban on social media for users under 16, inspired by Australia’s approach. The Madras High Court has also nudged the central government to examine whether such restrictions could work in India. Also read: NASA postpones Artemis II Moon mission launch by a month
So, will India actually ban teens from social media? For now, there is no official move from the central government to introduce a nationwide ban. But with global momentum building, court observations, and warnings from government reports, the idea is no longer far-fetched. Whether India chooses a strict ban like Australia or a softer, regulated approach remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the debate over how much screen time is too much for children has officially entered the policy room.
