Authorities in Andhra Pradesh are preparing the ground for a ban on children using social media, as concerns mount globally over online addiction and abuse.
Nara Lokesh, the southern state’s information technology minister, said trust in social media was “breaking down” and warned that “children are slipping into relentless usage”.
“The government has decided to act,” he said in a statement posted on X, adding that officials had ordered a study into legal tools for enforcing “age-appropriate access”.
India has about one billion Internet users with all cities and 95% of villages connected, according to government figures.
Andhra Pradesh authorities have invited major platforms including Meta, Google, X and ShareChat to discuss and evaluate “global best practices”, Lokesh said.
The move follows similar discussions in the western state of Goa, where authorities were exploring the legality of a social media ban for children.
Lokesh also flagged concerns about the online safety of women, saying many were “facing non-stop online abuse”.
“This cannot be ignored,” he added.
Global scrutiny over social media use by minors has surged in recent months.
Australia banned social media access for children under the age of 16 in December, while French lawmakers this week approved a bill barring under-15s from using the platforms.
Several other countries in South-East Asia as well as the European Union are considering similar steps. — AFP
