Social Media and Gaming Platforms Could Face ₹10 Crore Penalty Under Proposed Child Safety Law

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Technology companies could face substantially greater accountability for protecting children online if the proposed SHIELD Bill, 2025, eventually becomes law. The private member’s bill moved by BJP MP Baijayant Panda proposes new obligations for social media companies, online gaming services and other digital intermediaries.

One of the strongest features of the proposal is its approach to penalties. Reports on the proposed legislation say platforms could face fines of up to ₹10 crore for violations. Repeated or deliberate breaches could invite even stronger action, including temporary suspension or blocking of services under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

The proposed penalties are part of a broader child-safety framework. Under the bill, children below 13 could be prohibited from creating accounts on social media and online gaming platforms without verified parental consent.

The legislation also proposes mandatory age-verification mechanisms. Platforms that provide services accessible to minors would be expected to determine whether users meet applicable age requirements.

This could place a significant compliance burden on technology companies. Social media and gaming platforms would need to establish systems capable of identifying younger users while ensuring that the process does not create additional privacy concerns.

The bill also proposes parental-control dashboards. Such systems could allow guardians to monitor children’s activity, adjust privacy settings and limit the amount of time spent on platforms.

The proposal reflects the view that online safety cannot depend entirely on children or their parents. Digital companies would also have to take responsibility for the design and operation of their services.

Another major provision concerns harmful content. The proposed framework would require platforms to take measures to protect minors from pornography, gambling and simulated betting, violent or extremist material and drug-related content.

The bill also seeks restrictions on tracking and profiling minors. Platforms could be prevented from using children’s online behaviour to build profiles or serve personalised advertising.

Such restrictions could affect the business models of major digital companies. Advertising-driven platforms routinely use algorithms and user information to personalise content and advertisements. Applying stronger rules to minors would create a separate compliance category for young users.

The proposal therefore combines child protection with data protection and platform accountability.

However, the bill is not yet a law. It was scheduled for introduction as a private member’s bill but could not be taken up because of adjournments in Parliament.

This means that the proposed ₹10 crore penalty and other restrictions do not currently operate as SHIELD Bill requirements.

The legislative status is particularly important because a private member’s bill must go through Parliament’s legislative process before it can become law. Its provisions can also be debated, modified or rejected.

The proposal nevertheless signals increasing political attention to the risks faced by children online. Policymakers are examining issues ranging from excessive screen use to harmful content, data collection and commercial targeting.

For technology companies, the debate could eventually mean that child safety becomes a formal compliance obligation rather than simply a voluntary responsibility.

For parents, it could provide stronger tools for controlling children’s online activity.

For children, the objective is to create a digital environment in which access to technology does not automatically mean exposure to inappropriate content or commercial profiling.

Whether the SHIELD Bill becomes law will depend on its future parliamentary journey. But its proposed penalties demonstrate that India is considering a tougher approach toward platforms when children’s safety is involved.

Journalist Details

Jitendra Kumar

Jitendra Kumar is an Indian journalist and social activist from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh is known as the senior journalist and founder of Xpert Times Network Private Limited.