Under-13s banned from social media? India's SHIELD bill seeks parents' permission for kids online

A proposed private member’s bill could introduce stricter safeguards for children using social media and online gaming platforms in India. The Safeguarding Healthy Internet Environments for Little Digital-Natives (SHIELD) Bill, 2025, proposed by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, seeks to bar children under 13 from creating accounts on social media and gaming platforms without verified parental consent. The bill also proposes mandatory age-verification systems for platforms accessible to minors and parental-control dashboards that would allow guardians to monitor online activity, manage privacy settings and restrict screen time.