The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a Group of Ministers to study whether access to social media platforms should be restricted or banned for children below the age of 16.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said on Friday that the panel will examine different models followed in India and other countries to find a suitable approach for the state. The decision comes amid growing concern over misuse of social media and its impact on children.
The panel will be headed by IT Minister Nara Lokesh and will include ministers such as Anitha and Health Minister Satya Kumar. The Group of Ministers is expected to submit its recommendations within a month after discussions with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
“We are not only looking at the Australian model. We are studying various models being followed across the country and around the world,” Anitha said. “We will get a report on how to control social media abuse and how far the state can implement such measures.”
She said the findings and recommendations of the panel would also be shared with the central government. “Whether it should be a ban or a restriction, and how to control it, is the main task,” she added.
Referring to Australia, the minister pointed out that the country has passed a law fixing 16 years as the minimum age for social media use and placing responsibility on platforms to ensure compliance.
Anitha also raised concerns about weak age verification on social media platforms. “Many platforms ask for date of birth, but they do not verify whether it is correct,” she said. “We feel that social media companies should ask users to upload age proof documents so that authenticity can be verified.”
The move follows comments made earlier by IT Minister Nara Lokesh at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he said the state was considering restricting social media use for children below 16 years. His remarks were welcomed by the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
The government said the panel’s recommendations would play a key role in shaping future policy on children’s online safety in Andhra Pradesh.
