CHENNAI, July 26:
PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss has urged the Union government to enact a nationwide law prohibiting children below the age of 16 from accessing social media, arguing that such legislation is essential to safeguard their mental health, physical well-being and academic future. He said India must adopt a uniform legal framework to protect children from the growing risks associated with excessive use of digital platforms.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Anbumani said unrestricted social media access has become a serious public health and educational challenge. He pointed to increasing international efforts to regulate children’s online activity and said India should introduce similar safeguards to prevent digital addiction, cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content.
Welcoming France’s recent decision to restrict social media access for children under 15, the PMK leader described it as a significant step towards protecting young users. Under the French law, children below 15 will be barred from creating new social media accounts from September, while existing accounts belonging to children in that age group will be suspended from January, when the legislation comes into full force. France is the first European Union country to introduce such restrictions.
Anbumani noted that Australia implemented a nationwide social media ban for children in December 2025. He added that countries such as Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have also introduced similar measures, while more than 50 nations, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Germany and Denmark, are considering comparable regulations.
Referring to the Indian context, Anbumani said parents have repeatedly voiced concern over children’s exposure to explicit content, cyberbullying and addictive online behaviour. Citing the 2025-26 Economic Survey, he said excessive social media use has been linked to anxiety, stress, poor self-esteem and other mental health issues, prompting recommendations for stricter regulation.
He also said educators have reported declining concentration, weaker reading habits and poorer academic performance among students due to social media addiction. Arguing that State-level restrictions may face legal challenges because communications fall under the Union List, he called on the Centre to enact a single national law banning social media access for children below 16.
