Explainer: What’s driving Andhra Pradesh’s push to restrict social media access for minors

The Andhra Pradesh government is weighing the introduction of tough regulations to restrict children of a specified age from accessing social media, citing rising concerns over excessive screen time, declining attention spans and the growing scale of online abuse faced by women.

Education Minister Nara Lokesh said the issue has reached a point where government intervention can no longer be delayed, as the state looks closely at global precedents set by countries such as Australia and France.

Speaking on Thursday, Lokesh underlined what he described as a breakdown of trust in social media platforms, particularly in their impact on children and women.

“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. 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,” Nara Lokesh said in a post on X.

The minister participated in a meeting of the Group of Ministers held at the Secretariat on “strengthening accountability in social media,” where officials were asked to begin examining possible regulatory frameworks.

Government invites Meta, X, Google for chat

Lokesh said the government has directed officials to explore international policies that impose restrictions or bans on minors using social media platforms.

“I have instructed the officials to formulate policies and regulations to keep minors (of specified age) away from social media. I have directed them to study the policies being followed in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and France regarding the imposition of a social media ban on children, and to take strict action against habitual offenders who repeatedly post fake content on social media,” the minister said on X.

As part of the process, the Andhra Pradesh government has also decided to engage directly with major technology companies.

Lokesh said leading social media intermediaries have been invited to the next meeting of the Group of Ministers.

“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,” Lokesh added.

Global clampdown on social media use by minors

The state’s move comes against the backdrop of increasingly strict regulations being adopted internationally.

In France, the National Assembly on January 26 adopted a bill aimed at protecting minors from risks associated with social media use.

The proposed framework restricts social media access for minors under 15 and establishes tighter controls over the digital environment influencing young users.

In September 2025, French health authorities and parliamentary committees intensified warnings about the dangers of early and excessive exposure to social networks, pointing to rising mental health impacts linked to addictive design features and algorithm-driven content feeds that particularly affect minors.

Australia’s under-16 social media ban

In December 2025, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that a social media ban for children under the age of 16 had come into force, making Australia the first country in the world to implement such a measure.

Under the rules, under-16s have been banned from using major social media services including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.

They cannot set up new accounts and their existing profiles were deactivated.

An Australian government study commissioned in 2025 found that 96 percent of children aged 10 to 15 used social media, with seven out of 10 exposed to harmful content.

One in seven reported experiencing grooming-type behaviour from adults or older children, while more than half said they had been victims of cyberbullying.

Social media companies have also begun taking steps in response to growing regulatory pressure. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, began closing teen accounts from December 4 last year.

The company said users who were mistakenly removed could regain access by submitting government identification or providing a video selfie to verify their age.

By studying these global developments and consulting technology platforms, the Andhra Pradesh government says it aims to design a regulatory framework that addresses online harm while making social media a safer space for children and women, as concerns over digital safety and accountability continue to intensify.

(With inputs from ANI)