Should children be kept away from AI? This question has now become a part of law and policy in many countries of the world. Regions like Norway, Australia, France, Denmark and the European Union are imposing strict rules on children’s online activities. These countries believe that algorithm-based platforms and generative AI can affect the mental development, privacy and social behavior of children. The Norwegian government says that instead of using AI, young children should first develop basic abilities like reading, writing and mathematics.
On the other hand, the situation in India appears completely different. According to various reports, more than 18 crore children under 15 years of age in the country are using smartphones regularly. These children are not limited to just watching videos, but are also using social media, ChatGate, Snapchat and other generative AI tools. In such a situation, the question arises that when the world is trying to protect children from the influence of screens and AI, how strong is India’s preparation.
Why is the world increasing digital control over children?
Many countries of the world believe that children’s childhood cannot be left to screens and algorithms. Under this thinking, the Norwegian government has introduced a bill to make the minimum age for social media use 16 years. Under this, tech companies will have to fulfill the legal responsibility of age verification. The government argues that it is necessary to protect children from being exposed to algorithm-based content at an early age. Australia has also moved in this direction. There, a strict ban has been implemented on social media and algorithm based platforms for children below 16 years of age. The aim of these steps is to strengthen children’s mental health, ability to concentrate and online safety.
The European Union has given priority to the online safety of children under the Digital Services Act i.e. DSA. According to this law, tech companies cannot profile children’s data nor show them targeted advertisements. Recently the European Commission has also released a special app for age verification.
France and Denmark have also taken steps towards making schools mobile-free zones. These countries believe that it is important to connect children with the real world, sports and social activities. This is the reason why new rules are constantly being made regarding digital rights and online security.
important things
- There are more than 1 billion smartphone users in India.
- More than 18 crore users are 15 years of age or less.
- The age of 53% users is between 18-24 years.
- The average data consumption on smartphones in India is 37GB per month, which is the highest in the world.
- India has data protection rules, but does not have a separate policy regarding the impact of AI on children.
AI and preparedness for children in India?
The use of AI is not limited to offices only. The Indian government is also emphasizing on giving information about AI to children from an early age. Under Atal Innovation Mission and IndiaAI Mission, programs like YUVAi Global Youth Challenge are being run for youth aged 13 to 21 years. Under the ‘AI for Schools’ initiative, the Education Ministry has started AI-based curriculum in more than 18,000 CBSE schools, which is now being extended to class 3.
However, there is no clear age limit for using AI for children in India. Most AI platforms work based on their own conditions. For example, some services for children under 13 require parental permission. On the other hand, America and Europe have strict rules for protecting children’s data, where companies have to take verification from parents before collecting data of underage children.
It is definitely stated in the AI ​​Governance Guidelines of the Government of India that AI tools used in education and government sectors should follow standards like child safety, data privacy and prevention of discrimination. But there is still a lack of separate and comprehensive rules regarding AI use for children.
Digital world of 18 crore children in India
Digital access has increased rapidly in India and its biggest impact is visible among children. According to various reports, more than 18 crore children under 15 years of age are using smartphones regularly. Along with YouTube, Instagram Reels and short video platforms, kids are now also using ChatGPT, Snapchat My AI and other generative AI tools.
AI based tools are becoming a new medium of information and learning for children. However, there are many risks associated with it. According to experts, continuous dependence on AI can affect children’s ability to think and solve problems on their own. Apart from this, challenges like deepfakes, cyber bullying and easy access to misleading information are also present.
What does Indian law say?
The Government of India has made some important provisions to protect the data of children through Digital Personal Data Protection i.e. DPDP rules. Under these rules, the platform will have to obtain verified consent of parents before processing the data of children under 18 years of age. For this, options like DigiLocker, government identity card or video verification can be used. Apart from this, companies will not be allowed to monitor the online activities of children and show them targeted advertisements. Currently, the government’s focus is more on data security and privacy. However, these rules are currently being implemented in a phased manner.
From village to city, every youth has a smartphone in his pocket.
India is among the largest digital markets in the world. According to DataReportal, there are more than 1.06 billion active mobile connections and 1.03 billion internet users in the country. Whereas the IAMAI-Kantar report shows that there are 95.8 crore active internet users in India and more than 94 percent people use smartphones to access the internet. If seen in terms of age, youth in the age group of 18 to 24 years are the biggest smartphone users, whose share is about 53 percent. After this, the share of 25 to 34 years age group is 32 percent and the share of 35 to 44 years age group is 11 percent. According to statistics, 95.5 percent rural and 97.6 percent urban youth in the age group of 15 to 29 years have smartphones. Interestingly, an Indian smartphone user spends an average of 37GB of data every month, which is the highest in the world.
Use of AI is increasing rapidly in India
The use of AI with smartphones is also increasing rapidly. According to IAMAI, 44 percent of India’s internet users are using AI features in some form or the other. There are more than 10 crore active AI users in the country. The highest usage is seen in the age group of 15 to 24 years, where 57 percent of youth use AI based tools and features. According to Michael Page’s Talent Trends 2026 India report, 73 percent of professionals in India are using generative AI in their work. Just two years ago this figure was 47 percent. It is clear from this that AI is no longer just a new technology but has become an important part of work.
Where is the biggest challenge?
Experts believe that India’s current rules are limited to data security. There is no separate and clear policy regarding what impact generative AI can have on the mental development and behavior of children. This is the biggest question. The second challenge is that of age verification. Even today, any child can access social media or AI tools by entering a wrong date of birth. Tech companies do not have a fully effective age-verification system for India. Apart from this, a large number of parents themselves are first generation internet users, who do not have adequate knowledge of the risks associated with AI and algorithms.
Also read: 9.19 lakh VPN downloads in a day, why are Indians using banned apps on Telegram?
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