IT secretary S Krishnan yesterday reportedly said that the government plans to examine the Economic Survey’s suggestion for age-based access for social media and other digital platforms.

As per news agency PTI, Krishnan said that the Centre will examine all the opinions and take a call on the matter.

“You have seen what the Economic Survey has to say. A number of views are being expressed. We will examine all the views and take a call,” Krishnan reportedly said while responding to a question on whether the Centre is considering an Australian-like ban to block children from accessing social media platforms.

This comes after the Economic Survey last week urged the Union government to consider gatekeeping social media, while also cutting down online teaching to avoid digital addiction.

The Survey, tabled in Parliament, had said online platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification, and simpler devices should be promoted for children to access educational content with safeguards to address the rising problem of digital addiction.

“Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content. Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the survey read.

The comment also comes in the backdrop of the recent Ghaziabad triple suicide, where three minor sisters allegedly jumped to their deaths from a ninth-floor flat. Many news portals reportedly attributed the deaths to online gaming addiction and the Korean culture craze.

The development also comes on the heels of multiple state governments mulling a ban on accessing social media platforms for children under 16 years of age.

Earlier this month, Goa IT minister Rohan Khaunte recently said that the local government is studying Australia’s ban to understand how similar measures can be implemented in the state.

Prior to this, Andhra Pradesh’s IT Minister Nara Lokesh also made similar statements, hinting that the state government is reviewing steps to enforce similar regulatory measures.

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