iWorld
Goa govt considers social media ban for minors
GOA: Goa may become the first Indian state to draw a hard line on children’s social media use. The coastal state is studying Australia’s landmark law that bars under-16s from accessing social media platforms, signalling a tougher stance on online safety as anxieties over young people’s mental health intensify.
Rohan Khaunte, Goa’s information technology minister, said the state government is examining Australia’s regulatory framework to assess whether a similar restriction could be implemented locally. “If possible, we will implement a similar ban on children below 16 for the usage of social media,” he told reporters, adding that details would follow after further evaluation.
The discussion comes at a time when India, home to more than a billion internet users, has no national-level restrictions or formal guidelines governing minors’ access to social media. Yet concern over excessive screen time, online bullying and digital addiction among children has grown sharper, pushing states to explore their own solutions.
Australia set a global precedent last year by becoming the first country to formally prohibit social media use for children under 16. The law places the onus on platforms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent minors from holding accounts, backed by the threat of hefty fines. Within its first month, nearly 4.7 million teenage accounts were reportedly deactivated, reigniting global debate over child safety, digital rights and platform accountability.
Goa’s move, though coming from India’s smallest state by area with a population of about 1.5 million, has already resonated beyond its borders. Andhra Pradesh, a southern state with more than 53 million people, has indicated it is assessing similar regulatory options. Media reports say the state has constituted a panel of senior ministers to study international models and submit recommendations within a month.
Any state-level ban, however, would face legal and practical hurdles. Goa is examining whether such restrictions are viable under India’s central information technology laws, which govern digital platforms nationwide. Enforcement, too, remains contentious, with critics arguing that children could simply bypass age checks through technical loopholes.
At the national level, the ministry of electronics and information technology has not publicly commented on the developments. Major technology companies, including Meta, Google and X, have also remained silent on the prospect of India-wide or state-specific restrictions.
Globally, Goa is not alone in looking to Canberra for cues. France, Indonesia and Malaysia are closely watching Australia’s rollout, with France having already passed a related bill in its National Assembly. The momentum suggests a broader international shift towards stricter regulation of children’s digital lives.
For now, Goa’s proposal remains under study. But the signal is clear: as India’s digital population grows younger and larger, the pressure on governments to act is rising fast. Whether through bans, guardrails or new rules of engagement, the era of laissez-faire childhood scrolling may be nearing its end.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
