India, July 12 -- When Australia enacted legislation in late 2024 restricting children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms without age verification, it reflected a growing recognition that childhood, privacy and mental well-being require stronger protection in the digital age. In India, the government of Andhra Pradesh has also indicated that it is examining measures to regulate children's exposure to social media, signalling that digital safety is steadily becoming a matter of public policy rather than parental discretion alone.

The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence has made these concerns even more urgent. Cybersecurity experts warn that photographs shared innocently online can be repurposed through deepfakes, iden...