The government is preparing a new plan to control the social media use of children and teenagers. Instead of a complete ban, options like age-based restrictions, parental control, screen time limit and increasing the responsibility of the platform are being considered, so that the online safety of children can be improved.
Government’s focus on online safety of children.
The central government is thinking of a new way to control the social media use of children and teenagers (minors). Instead of banning it completely, a plan is being prepared to allow different levels of permission based on age. Discussions are going on from the government side with the industry and experts. This includes suggestions like age-appropriate parental control, limit on screen time, ban on some features and increasing the accountability of the platform.
It has not yet been decided what the age limit will be. In the discussion, options for age below 13 years and age 16 years and above are being discussed.
Officials say that the safeguards currently in place are not enough. Children easily create accounts by entering false age. In rural areas and poor families, one phone is shared among several people, so age verification is difficult.
The government’s focus is on protecting children from wrong things online, but instead of imposing a blanket ban, an attempt is being made to find a balanced path. This may include ways to give more control to parents, make platforms accountable and accurately check the age of users.
It may be difficult to implement the new rule!
Experts say that if the age limit is fixed at 16 or 18 years, then the platforms will have to change their policies. There is also a danger of losing the privacy and access of some children. In rural areas where the entire family has only one device, it will be challenging to implement this rule.
The government is still considering several models, such as imposing different levels of restrictions according to age. This entire matter can be implemented by making changes in IT rules. This step is in the direction of strengthening the safety of children, but care is also being taken to ensure privacy, implementation issues and not limiting digital access. The final decision has not been taken yet. The government will move forward only after listening to the opinions of all parties.
About the Author
Afreen Afaq has started her career with Network 18 as a Tech Journalist, and has more than six years experience in ‘Mobile-Technology’ beat. She is a high-performing professional with an established and proven …read more
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