Social Media age law? AP mulls move

The government of Andhra Pradesh will study legal frameworks for ‘age-appropriate access’ to social media, Minister for Information Technology and Electronics Nara Lokesh said on Thursday.

He said the government would ensure social media becomes a safer space and reduce its damaging impact, especially for women and children.

“Trust in social media is breaking down. Children are slipping into relentless usage, affecting their attention spans and education. Women are facing non-stop online abuse. This cannot be ignored,” Lokesh posted on ‘X’.

“The Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to act. In the meeting of the Group of Ministers on Social Media, we have ordered a study of legal frameworks for age-appropriate access. We have also invited major platforms like Meta, X, Google and Sharechat to the next GoM meeting, to examine global best practices. We will ensure social media becomes a safer space and reduce its damaging impact - especially for women and children,” he added.

The GoM headed by Lokesh was constituted last week to examine the possibility of restricting or banning access to certain social media platforms for children below 16 years.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, who is also a member of the panel, stated that they will study models being followed by various states and countries to identify the most suitable framework for Andhra Pradesh.

Referring to international examples, Anitha noted that the Australian government has introduced legislation setting 16 years as the minimum age for social media use and making platforms responsible for ensuring compliance.

Earlier, Lokesh had said in Davos during the World Economic Forum annual meeting that the State government is contemplating imposing a ban on access to social media for children below 16 years, like in Australia, to protect them from its harmful impact.

Lokesh revealed the State government’s intention to wean children away from social media, noting that youngsters below a certain age should not be on such platforms as they do not fully understand the content they are exposed to and that a strong legal framework was required to curb the menace.