"Platform Compliance Alone Insufficient for Children's Online Safety, Experts Argue"
Age verification
technical process by which a platform confirms a user's age before granting access to services.
Feed depersonalisation
removing algorithmic tailoring so a user sees random content rather than content matched to their interests.
Children's online safety has emerged as a central governance challenge as digital platforms become integral to adolescent life. In India, the legal framework governing this space rests on three pillars. The Information Technology Act, 2000 provides the foundational architecture for regulating online content and intermediary liability. The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 addresses child sexual abuse material online. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 introduces consent-based data protections and requires verifiable parental consent before processing data of children under 18. However, none of these laws specifically addresses algorithmic harms, emotional dependency risks, or the structural challenge of age verification at scale.
Globally, regulators have moved toward platform-centric compliance models. The EU's Digital Services Act mandates risk assessments and stricter content moderation for platforms accessible to minors. Australia has banned children under 16 from social media platforms. The United States has pursued litigation against major platforms, most recently resulting in a $17.1 billion settlement by a major social media company with several US states over alleged harms to children's mental health. India's 2026 Economic Survey acknowledged the gap by calling for a digital wellness curriculum in schools, signalling a shift toward demand-side interventions alongside supply-side regulation.
Children's digital safety policy operates across four overlapping dimensions. First, content safety involves restricting harmful outputs, related to self-harm, eating disorders, violence, or sexual content, when the user is a minor. Second, age verification requires platforms to confirm a user's actual age before granting access. This is technically difficult. Most platforms rely on self-declaration, age estimation tools, or parental consent flows, all of which can be circumvented by motivated users. Third, parental controls and transparency give guardians visibility into their children's digital activity and the safeguards in place. Fourth, algorithmic and emotional dependency risks arise when recommendation systems expose children to harmful content loops or when AI-driven interactions foster unhealthy reliance. …
Child cuddling is now being replaced by mobile phones. Discuss its impact on the socialization of children.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has to address the challenges faced by children in the digital era. Examine the existing policies and suggest measures the Commission can initiate to tackle the issue.
Consider the following statements about the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023:
1.It requires verifiable parental consent for processing personal data of children below 18 years.
2.It specifically regulates algorithmic recommendation systems that target children.
3.It establishes an independent regulator for AI systems used by minors.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding children's digital safety in India:
1.The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 requires verifiable parental consent before processing personal data of children under 18 years of age.
2.The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 specifically addresses algorithmic harms and AI-generated content risks to children.
3.India currently has a mandatory audit framework for AI systems used by minors.
4.The WHO has documented that comprehensive safety sensitisation programmes can reduce digital violence victimisation among children.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding digital safety for children:
1.The World Health Organisation has found that comprehensive safety sensitisation programmes can reduce digital violence victimisation among children.
2.India's 2026 Economic Survey recommended a digital wellness curriculum in schools.
3.An Esya Centre study found that a majority of Indian children surveyed would feel safer with depersonalised social media feeds.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to children's online safety regulation, consider the following pairs:
Measure — Primary Limitation
1.Age verification / age gating — Children routinely circumvent it using false credentials or workarounds
2.Feed depersonalisation — May expose children to irrelevant or inappropriate content and reduce access to educational material
3.Nighttime usage blocks — Cannot be enforced on shared devices used by multiple family members
4.Parental consent flows — Technically difficult to implement and can be bypassed
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
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