Last Updated on April 24, 2025
India, home to the largest youth population in the world, is unprepared to shield its children from the unchecked consequences of digital exposure. Platforms designed for adults have become playgrounds for children, with no gates, no guards, and no rules.
Today, a child in India can access graphic violence, explicit content, cyberbullies, and addictive algorithms by simply faking their age. One false click, and the entire digital world opens up.
This is not just a moral failure—it’s a policy vacuum. In April 2025, the Supreme Court of India acknowledged this crisis, granting our (Zep Foundation/World Digital Detox Day) petition (Diary No. 8128/2025) the authority to work with the government on policy implementation. The nation has a window—just 8 weeks—to act.
Why India Needs Mandatory Age Verification for Social Media
Self-Declaration is a Joke in a Nation of Tech-Savvy Kids
Children today are not just users—they’re digital natives. At 10 or 11, many can bypass basic age checks faster than most adults. With no verification mechanism in place, every underage user can simply lie.
Letting children self-certify their age is like letting them write their own driving license.
Global Precedent Demands Action
The UK’s Online Safety Act, California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code, and France’s new legislation on mandatory age checks set the global standard. India, a country with over 500 million digital users under age 18, cannot be the exception.
If we want to be a global tech leader, we must also be a global safety leader.
India’s Mental Health Crisis is Escalating
Studies show that screen addiction in children is linked to rising cases of depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal. Suicide among adolescents due to cyberbullying and digital peer pressure is no longer rare—it’s becoming tragically common.
If age verification can delay exposure and create barriers to harmful content, it must become a public health obligation.
Regulation is Not Anti-Technology—It is Pro-Child
This is not about banning technology—it’s about creating boundaries. Just as we have age gates for alcohol, tobacco, and driving, we need digital age gates for content that rewires young brains.
Letting Big Tech operate without accountability is a betrayal of every parent who expects the internet to be safe.
Aadhaar, DigiLocker & AI: India Already Has the Tools
Unlike many countries, India has a robust digital identity infrastructure. By integrating Aadhaar-based verification, parental OTP authorization, or DigiLocker authentication, we can implement age checks without violating privacy.
The real question is not how—but why haven’t we done it yet?
Children Deserve a Smartphone-Free Childhood
Children have the right to live smartphone-free childhoods. Let them breathe in the natural world, not grow up inside screens.
Child Safety in India: The Urgent Case for Age Verification
– Increase in Crimes Against Children: In 2023, there was an 8.7% increase in reported cases, totaling 162,449. The leading offenses were kidnapping & abduction (45.7%) and sexual crimes under POCSO (39.7%).
– Child Sexual Abuse: 28.9% of Indian children have experienced some form of sexual crime. During the pandemic lockdown, 92,105 distress calls were reported.
– Mental Health Concerns: A sharp rise in depression, anxiety, and adolescent suicides is linked to increased digital exposure, cyberbullying, and algorithmic peer pressure.
– India’s Readiness: With Aadhaar and DigiLocker infrastructure in place, age verification is feasible without compromising data privacy.
Legal and Policy Solutions
| Challenge | Proposed Solution |
| Fake age declarations | Aadhaar/DigiLocker verification at signup |
| No parent oversight | OTP consent flow for 16–18 age users |
| No deterrence for platforms | Penalty of ₹1 crore+ for non-compliance |
| No uniform standard | Central Digital Wellness Law with the enforcement agency |
Final Call: We Are Almost Too Late
The Supreme Court has created space for change. The Government now has a responsibility to convert that opening into systemic protection for every Indian child.
We call on:
– MeitY to establish an Age Verification Task Force.
– EdTech & Tech Platforms to comply with verifiable onboarding for minors.
– Parents and schools to demand safety as a right, not a luxury.
We can’t allow corporations to decide what age is “safe enough.” Only the law can protect what is sacred: a child’s right to grow up safe, unexploited, and mentally healthy.
Authored by: Dr. Rekha Chaudhari, Founder, World Digital Detox Day and ZEP Foundation