TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu: Social-Media Platforms as Harmful as Tobacco for Kids

The number of hours a child spends on these platforms is extremely high. It is almost comparable to exposure to tobacco. We want children to have their childhood intact. Excessive screen time is depriving them of that opportunity.

This kind of addiction is harming children. Is smoking tobacco not harmful? In fact, this [social media] may be just as bad or even worse. If you follow developments in the US, you will see that major technology companies are being put to trial over allegations that their platforms are addictive for children.

A few years ago, internal documents from Meta surfaced indicating that the algorithm was designed to ensure users remain engaged and spend more time on the platform.

[Media reports and court filings claim that Meta discontinued Project Mercury, an internal study examining Facebook’s impact on users’ mental health, after uncovering evidence suggesting a causal link between its products and harm to users’ psychological well-being. Similarly, a lawsuit claims that Meta purposefully engineered its platforms to make children glued to them.]

If we cannot protect the next generation and give them the attention and time they need to go outside and interact, build leadership and cognitive skills, then what are we doing? If they are sitting in front of screens all day, what is the point?

That is why I introduced the Bill. The IT [information technology] minister is also engaging with industry stakeholders on this issue.

It [safe harbour] is a shield today. Big Tech companies have the ability to deploy extensive legal resources and stall the entire process. So, we need to keep fighting. Look at the recent Supreme Court judgement against WhatsApp. Eventually, WhatsApp agreed that it would not share user data with Meta. This took almost three years, showing how much effort it takes for the authorities to push through.

[Since November 2024, WhatsApp was embroiled in a legal battle with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), after the latter imposed a $25.4mn penalty. On February 3, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India issued a strong warning to WhatsApp and Meta, cautioning them against using private user data for targeted advertising.]

Social-media platforms talk about data storage, free speech and the number of users. They keep equating the value of safe harbour with free speech. But even in the US, action is being taken against them. In their own country, users are unhappy. Parents have been raising concerns about how Meta’s platforms are addictive for children. Right now, trials are going on against several Big Tech players. So, I believe we need to push them harder and take a stronger stance. We must lay down clear rules and ensure that they are being followed.

There has been a lot of misinformation these days. These platforms are not fact-checking. They claim that they are doing it, but they don’t do enough. But the major concern is the way these social-media platforms have designed these algorithms. Once you get on it, you will keep scrolling. And you do not realise that you have just spent hours doing it. It is so addictive. And it keeps throwing the same thing at you, what you like, what you do.

I have been following the journey of Big Tech firms for a very long time. I have also expressed that it is not right that Android and App Store dominate Indian apps.

When I was researching, I saw a report that came up in the US that the algorithm of Big Tech platforms is addictive. It was shocking and I knew that a ban is necessary for children.

Look at what Grok has done. The algorithm was pushing naked pictures of women and children. So, what does it say? It says that they don’t have any concern for users. Imagine putting up with something like that as a user, then you will think twice about what the software can and cannot do. A lot of people complained that their kids’ images are being morphed and shared on social media. After a lot of damage, Grok said that it is changing the setting. How can you be so casual about it? How can you take people for granted? So, what nonsense is it that people misused the algorithm and now we are changing it?

And of course, right now we need to re-examine the safe-harbour provision. We are giving these Big Tech companies a free ride in India. It is our data. We are the maximum creators of data for these companies. Because of our data and users, their valuation is going up and they are taking India for granted. This is not right.

Data is the main way out today. We can make them show us the data here. We also need to make algorithms more open for us. If the US can ask TikTok to open for them, why can’t we ask the same for us? Why TikTok has to be sold to an American company? At least open the algorithm to us so that we can see what is right and what is wrong.

[After a threat of shutdown in the US, to comply with national security requirement social-media giant TikTok finalised a deal to restructure its US operations, separating them from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance].