Chapter 13 - Protecting Children in the Digital Age: Legal and Ethical Challenges to Safety in Online Spaces

In the current digital era, social media has become so prevalent that one feels obligated to be an active user in order to fit into today’s society, albeit a virtual one at that. While social media offers several benefits, as noted by the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, who described it as a "powerful tool," it can also become a toxic, unending loop if used for negative purposes. As social media addiction affects adults and promotes excessive screen time, the primary concern shifts to children and adolescents. While countries like Australia have taken steps to ban social media usage for children under the age of 16, many parts of the world still lack a basic framework to regulate its use. A specific concern, algorithmic or AI bias, has emerged as a growing threat, significantly affecting the content consumed by users. Exposing children to social media can have a massive impact on their personality development, potentially leading to adverse effects. While a blanket ban on social media for children may seem like a positive step, a more holistic approach is necessary, including the use of digital verification tools, parental access and control, and stronger child protection laws. This paper aims to study the existing and potential problems related to the protection of children in digital spaces. It also examines the effectiveness of current child protection and digital laws in India and explores the way forward for India as a growing digital entity.