INDIA PERSPECTIVE

Indian media coverage reflects growing anxiety of a nation where hundreds of millions of young users come online earlier than ever. Business Standard, in an article titled 'Meta, Google lose landmark case. Are kids paying the mental health cost?', directly frames the verdict for India's implications. Dr. Astik Joshi, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Fortis Healthcare Delhi, stated: 'For India, where millions of children come online increasingly early and use Meta and Google's addictive products, the implications are difficult to ignore.'

Indian figures are staggering: according to 2023 Internet and Mobile Association of India report, internet user base is heavily youth-oriented, majority under 30. India counts approximately 700 million smartphone users, with growing proportion of teenagers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities where parental oversight is often minimal.

The Tribune of Chandigarh published direct headline: 'Landmark verdict holds Meta, Google liable in social media addiction case', emphasizing the legal precedent this verdict could create for Indian courts. Jurisdictional question is central: could Indian consumer protection law allow similar actions?

Indian framing oscillates between two poles: on one side, technological pride of world's largest Facebook and Instagram user market; on the other, growing anxiety over absence of specific legislation on minor digital addiction. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) requires parental consent before 18, but implementation remains embryonic. Global South voices emerge in debate: India cannot afford the same complacency the US tolerated for a decade.