Chandigarh, March 11 Punjab Minister Aman Arora informed the Assembly on Wednesday that the state government will take the matter of framing rules for social media usage by minors with the Centre, and evaluate global best practices to safeguard children's interests.
Arora, the minister for good governance and information technology, was responding to a call attention motion moved by Independent MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh during the Budget session in the Vidha Sabha on Wednesday.
He said that legal restrictions on social media usage by minors could be implemented through rules framed by the Government of India under the Information Technology Act, 2000, including age-verification requirements for social media intermediaries.
“This needs to be age-specific. We must define what content is appropriate for children aged 8 to 12, as opposed to 13 to 16, and what is suitable for those above 18.”
“A blanket ban often increases children’s interest in prohibited items, and such prohibitions often drive young users towards the dark, unregulated corners of the internet,” the IT minister said.
He added that the state government is committed to protecting children and ensuring that the digital age remains a period of opportunity, not addiction.
Outlining the AAP government's 'Digital Safety Net' strategy to combat rising mobile phone addiction and exposure of children to harmful online content, Arora said that the battle against digital addiction requires a collective front involving the government, schools, and most importantly, parents.
“This concern is not limited to Punjab or even India. It is a pressing global policy issue today. Australia recently enacted a law restricting social media accounts for children below 16, while Karnataka has proposed a similar ban. Andhra Pradesh is considering restricting access for those below 13,” Arora said.
Stating that the Punjab government has already launched multiple initiatives to tackle the challenge proactively, the minister said that the 'Cyber Jaago' initiative, in collaboration with the cybercrime division of Punjab Police and the IT department, is transitioning from reactive policing to preventive education.
Under this programme, teachers across 3,968 government high schools are being trained as 'Digital Mentors' to educate students on identifying online threats and managing screen time, Arora said.
To ensure a swift response to cyber complaints, Punjab Police has integrated the national cybercrime helpline (1930) with the state's Dial-112 emergency response system, he added.
“Citizens can now report online fraud, cyberbullying, or cybercrime incidents through the single emergency number. The government has also launched ‘Jeevan Jyot 2.0’, establishing district-level task forces specifically addressing online exploitation and abuse of children,” the minister said.
Referring to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Arora said that the state is working closely with the Centre to implement its "verifiable parental consent" mandate for processing data of minors.
“We are committed to strictly adhering to these age-gating and safety-by-design principles. Schools are being encouraged to organise counselling sessions addressing screen addiction and mental health.”
“To counter indoor digital addiction, the government has constructed 3,100 stadiums at the village level and plans to construct another 6,000, with 1,000 indoor gyms under construction and plans for 5,000 more.”
“Without outdoor activities, children remain glued to screens. Our goal is to channelise youth energy toward sports as a direct, healthy alternative to screen time,” Arora said.
Earlier, Rana Inder Partap drew the attention of the government towards a matter of “urgent public importance” – the growing addiction to mobile phones and the ill effects of the increasing use of social media, particularly among children in their tween years.
“Much of the content circulated on social media is inappropriate and harmful, which is causing serious concern among parents and educators,” he claimed.
"Some states have already banned, or are proposing to ban, the use of social media by children in certain age groups. In view of the grave consequences that excessive exposure to such content can have on the mental, emotional and social development of young children, the matter requires urgent attention,” Singh said.