India’s SHIELD Bill: Under-13s Banned from Social Media?

BJP MP Baijayant Panda introduced the Safeguarding Healthy Internet Environments for Little Digital-Natives (SHIELD) Bill, 2025, a private member’s bill proposing to ban children under 13 from social media and online gaming platforms without verified parental consent. This legislative proposal aims to regulate digital access for minors in India.

Core Restrictions for Young Users

The SHIELD Bill, 2025, mandates that children under the age of 13 cannot create accounts on social media or online gaming platforms unless they obtain verified parental consent. For regulatory purposes, the bill defines a child as anyone under 18.

• Platforms would be required to implement mandatory age-verification systems.
• They must also provide parental-control dashboards for guardians.

These dashboards would empower guardians to monitor their child’s online activity, adjust privacy settings, and set specific screen time limits on the platforms.

Protecting Minors from Harmful Content and Tracking

Beyond age restrictions, the bill places significant obligations on digital intermediaries to protect children from various forms of harmful online content. It explicitly seeks to shield them from exposure to specific categories of material.

• Pornography and sexually explicit content.
• Gambling and simulated betting.
• Violent or extremist material.
• Drug-related content.

The SHIELD Bill also proposes to prohibit platforms from tracking, profiling, or serving personalized advertisements to children, thereby safeguarding their digital privacy.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Non-adherence to these proposed regulations carries substantial penalties for digital platforms. The bill outlines clear consequences for breaches of its provisions.

• Fines could reach up to Rs 10 crore.
• Repeated or deliberate breaches might lead to temporary suspension of services.
• Outright blocking of services under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

Bill’s Journey and Broader Context

Despite its introduction, the SHIELD Bill was not debated in Parliament on its scheduled day due to repeated adjournments. Private members’ bills in India typically have a low success rate in becoming law.

Nevertheless, the introduction of this bill underscores a growing global concern regarding the safety and well-being of underage users on social media and gaming platforms. Many countries worldwide are strengthening age-verification and parental-consent norms.

Key Numbers from the SHIELD Bill

• Proposed minimum age for social media/gaming (without parental consent): 13 years.
• Legal definition of a child: Under 18.
• Maximum fine for non-compliance: Rs 10 crore.