How India is trying to regulate children's social media use, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The Centre is considering a graded approach to regulate children's access to social media due to growing concerns about harmful content.
• Cybercrime against children increased by 32% between 2021 and 2022, according to the NCRB.
• Teenagers (16-18 years) spend nearly six hours daily online, while children under five spend an average of 1.5 hours a day online, as per a NITI Aayog report.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 mandates parental consent for processing children's data.

Detailed Insights:

• India's existing legal framework includes the IT Act, POCSO Act, and DPDP Act, but faces challenges in enforcement and dealing with age misrepresentation.
• Children aged 6-10 spend 2.5 hours online, while 11-15 year olds spend four hours a day online, increasing their risk of exposure to harmful content and online grooming.
• The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 extends liability to digital offences against children, but digital forensic capacity and training gaps hinder effective prosecution.
• Critics argue that despite regulatory measures, self-regulatory codes, and educational initiatives, enforcement remains lax, especially regarding age verification.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cybercrime: Crime committed using a computer or network.
• Online Grooming: Building trust with a child online to exploit them.
• Age-Gating: Restricting access to online content based on age.