Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has appointed a committee comprising a group of ministers to study the possibility of restricting or banning access to certain social media platforms for children below 16 years, state Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said on Friday.
She also said the Group of Ministers (GoM), headed by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and comprising members, including herself and Health Minister Satya Kumar, will study models being followed by various state governments and countries so that the best model can be adopted.
The Australian government has brought out legislation that would set an age limit of 16 years for children to start using social media, and hold platforms responsible for ensuring compliance.
By examining Australia’s approach, the state hopes to understand how age-based restrictions can be implemented effectively, while balancing freedom of expression and technological realities. The move places Andhra Pradesh among a growing list of governments worldwide reassessing how digital platforms affect young users.
Meanwhile, speaking to Bloomberg on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the state’s IT Minister Nara Lokesh said the state administration was closely studying Australia’s recent decision to impose a ban on social media use for those under 16. He stressed that young users are often ill-equipped to process the nature and impact of online content, making regulatory safeguards increasingly necessary.
Lokesh said the Andhra Pradesh government believes the issue goes beyond parental supervision and requires a strong legal and policy framework, reported News 18. According to him, unchecked exposure to social media can negatively influence children’s mental health, behaviour, and worldview.
At present, India relies largely on parental controls and platform-level safeguards to regulate minors’ access to social media. The Union government has not yet articulated a clear stance on blanket age-based restrictions, even as concerns over harmful online content continue to mount.
Several petitions seeking stricter oversight of digital platforms are currently pending before Indian courts. Legal and technology experts, however, caution that any attempt by individual states to enforce age limits could face constitutional hurdles, as well as practical challenges related to verification and compliance.
India has, in recent years, updated its legal framework governing data protection, cybersecurity, and social media regulation, reflecting the rapid pace of digital transformation and the growing influence of Big Tech.
