A.P. govt. plans curbs on social media use by children

The Andhra Pradesh government is preparing a comprehensive regulatory framework to safeguard children in the digital space, focusing on restricting social media access for those below 13 years and creating age-appropriate online environments for teenagers. The initiative is being led by Education, IT and Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh, who chaired a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting with officials and representatives from major social media platforms, on Thursday.

A key proposal under consideration is an ‘age-based access system’, particularly for users aged 13–16, to limit exposure to harmful or inappropriate content. The Minister said the framework should draw from global best practices in countries like Singapore, Australia and Denmark, ensuring alignment with international standards while adapting to India’s context.