It was “particularly harmful for young teenagers and children”, Mr. Panda said. Many social media platforms had acknowledged these conclusions, and consequently, several countries had started imposing restrictions on social media access to minors, especially those under the ages of 16 or 13, with the Centre also seized of the issue. “I had drafted a private member’s Bill for this purpose a year ago, after wide consultations with all stakeholders,” he said. Information collected about users via the verification requirement cannot be used for behavioural profiling, the Bill says. As more and more countries appear to be bringing legislation that restricts social media usage by children, the Bill listed by Mr. Panda appears to be a timely signal of similar efforts in India.