India, Jan. 28 -- India is at a fascinating digital crossroads. We're witnessing the first generation of true digital natives, with an active under-18 internet user base, and a striking percentage of these users actively engaging with internet connected devices, daily. At the backdrop of this is a heightened sense of tech optimism - with India emerging as a digital powerhouse.

While the past decade has seen considerable debate in India around content moderation, these conversations have largely centred on free speech and allied considerations. There is a conspicuous gap in addressing youth safety concertedly--and the implications of this are far reaching.

The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and draft rules, while well intent...