India is witnessing a growing debate on ways to protect children in the digital space, in light of the escalation of cybercrime and online exploitation and the impact of social media on the mental health of adolescents. And despite growing calls for age restrictions on the use of these platforms, child rights experts say this approach may not address the real causes of the risks children face online.
An analytical report by experts from the Children's Rights and You (CRY) organization suggests that digital risks do not arise from social media alone, but are mainly related to past social and psychological factors, such as isolation, family instability, discrimination, and weak protection systems, factors that may be exacerbated when children move into the digital environment.
And restricting access to social media platforms may lead children to use less controlled alternative means, such as encrypted messaging apps, gaming communities, closed groups, and artificial intelligence platforms, which may make monitoring risks more difficult rather than limiting them.
Age verification systems can be easily circumvented by entering incorrect age data, creating alternative accounts, or using virtual private networks (VPNs), as well as sharing devices within the family makes it difficult to verify the identity of users accurately.
The report warns that applying uniform restrictions could lead to uneven results, as it could impose additional restrictions on girls and children in rural areas or from low-income families, who are already the most vulnerable to barriers in access to technology, which could deepen the digital divide rather than enhance protection.
The report's authors argue that the future of online child protection depends not only on setting the age allowed to use the platforms, but on designing safer digital environments, enhancing the accountability of operating companies, protecting users' privacy, spreading digital culture, and strengthening child protection and institutional oversight systems.
And the report concludes that the safety of children in the digital world will depend in the future on how digital platforms are managed, designed and held accountable, rather than on imposing age restrictions alone, stressing that building a safe cyberspace requires addressing the root causes of risks, not limiting access to platforms.
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