# India social media regulation for children

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/india-social-media-regulation-for-children
> Updated: 2026-09-01T08:16:26.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

Efforts to regulate social media access for children in India have progressed from legislative proposals to judicial intervention. The SHIELD Bill, 2025, proposed by MP Baijayant Panda, sought to implement mandatory age verification, parental consent for children under 13, and prohibitions on profiling minors for advertising. The bill also aimed to prevent exposure to harmful content through parental-control dashboards and financial penalties for non-compliant platforms.

Following these legislative efforts, the Delhi High Court directed the Central Government to consider a public interest litigation requesting a total ban on social media for children under 13 and overnight curfews for adolescents aged 13 to 16. While the government noted that such measures fall under policy domains, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been instructed to review the petition. Concurrently, state-level initiatives have emerged, with Karnataka proposing bans for those under 16 and Andhra Pradesh establishing timelines to restrict access for children under 13.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-01: Delhi High Court directs Indian government to consider social media ban for children under 13

The Delhi High Court has asked the Indian government to consider a plea seeking a social media ban for children under 13 and nighttime restrictions for those aged 13-16 to protect mental health.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/delhi-high-court-directs-indian-government-to-consider-social-media-ban-for-children-under-13

### 2026-08-08: SHIELD Bill proposes social media restrictions for children in India

The proposed SHIELD Bill 2025 in India seeks to protect minors by requiring parental consent for users under 13, banning targeted advertising for children, and imposing fines of up to ₹10 crore for non-complic.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indias-shield-bill-proposes-parental-consent-for-under13-social-media-accounts

---
Cite as: India social media regulation for children. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/india-social-media-regulation-for-children
