The Indian government is considering implementing network-level restrictions to combat digital addiction among children. It aims to introduce “Internet Service Provide (ISP)-level interventions” through “family data plans with differentiated quotas for educational versus recreational apps and default blocking of high-risk categories,” while giving guardians the ability to opt in and override these default controls.
The Ministry of Finance’s Economic Survey (2025–2026) does not specifically define “high-risk categories.” However, the term could refer to harmful, violent, sexual, or gambling-related content, which the government seeks to reduce children’s exposure to by “promoting simpler devices for children, such as basic phones or education-only tablets.”
In addition to network-level restrictions, the government has proposed making platforms responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, autoplay features, and targeted advertising, to curb children’s compulsive use and exposure to harmful content.
The global responses to tackle Digital Addiction:
Digital addiction is described as addictive behaviour linked to digital devices, including smartphones, the internet, gaming, and social media addiction, as defined in the Economic Survey (2025–2026), citing a research paper.
Before laying out India’s potential solutions to fight digital addiction, the report outlined global laws and policy frameworks that are also attempting to address the issue.
On Social Media Ban:
“Australia has introduced one of the world’s strictest measures against youth digital addiction, a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under 16,” the report recalled, referring to Australia’s recent social media ban for teenage users.
Following Australia’s move, Goa Tourism and Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte said the state is reviewing Australia’s law to adopt a similar approach. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh’s IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh also expressed support for a blanket ban on under-16s, similar to Australia’s law.
On Restricting Online Gaming:
The report also referenced South Korea’s “Shutdown” or “Cinderella law” (2011), which restricts minors from accessing gaming websites after midnight, a similar law that Tamil Nadu passed in 2025, restricting users’ access to real-money games from midnight to 5 AM to curb addiction and financial distress.
This was before the central government’s blanket ban on real-money games. Addressing this ban, the report said: “The Online Gaming (Regulation) Act, 2025, represents a major step to address digital addiction and financial harm among youth, as it bans online money games involving wagering and introduces a licensing framework for permissible skill-based games to curb compulsive use, debt, and related mental health…
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