Editorial: Safety nets and social media

Earlier this week, the Australian government announced what it pitched as a world-leading legislation that would institute an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance. The legislation is set to be introduced in the Parliament during its final two weeks in session this year, which begin on Nov 18. The age limit norms would come into force one year after the law is passed. Popular platforms including Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook will need to decide during this period how to exclude Australian children under the age of 16.

The proposal has been introduced even as governments globally wrestle with the prospect of supervising the use of technologies like smartphones and social media by the youth. For instance, in March this year, Florida, in the US became the first state to bar residents under the age of 14 from holding accounts on social media services like TikTok and Instagram. The statute prohibits certain networks from offering accounts to children below the age of 14 and requires the services to terminate accounts that a platform knew or believed belonged to underage users. It also mandates the platforms to obtain a parent’s permission before giving accounts to 14- and 15-year-olds.

More recently in September, Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California signed legislation aimed at protecting minors from social media addiction. The law requires tech firms to make posts appearing on the feeds of social media accounts operated by minors appear in chronological order as a default, rather than allowing algorithms to curate them to maximise engagement. The bill prohibits firms from sending notifications to people under 18 during school hours, and during sleep hours.

Here in India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) 2023 has also introduced guardrails to regulate the use of social media by adolescents. Section 9 of this Act outlines conditions for handling the data of those under 18 years. These include verifiable parental consent, processing of personal data belonging to a child while prioritising his or her well-being; and complying with the ban on tracking, behavioural monitoring, and targeted advertising aimed at children. It is pertinent to note that last year, the Karnataka High Court suggested to the Centre to implement an age limit of 21 for accessing social media.

Notwithstanding concerns pertaining to the impact of social media platforms on the mental health of impressionable young minds, there are a few critics who have emerged from the woodworks to provide a counterpoint to blanket bans and parental consents. Over 140 international academics specialising in areas related to technology and child welfare signed an open letter directed at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, opposing the social media age threshold as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.” Other observers opined that the age limit legislation could drive underage users underground to circumvent the ban.

Obviously, the industry hasn’t buried its head in the sand. Two months ago, Instagram announced its plans to default all new and existing accounts set up by people under the age of 18 years old to private mode. It’s part of Meta’s Teen Accounts initiative that incepts new and strengthens existing safeguards for young people on the app. The overarching need is to adopt a nuanced approach to social media, create age-appropriate spaces, build digital literacy and protect youngsters from predators and self-harm.