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Andhra to seek suggestions from global social media platforms on restricting minors from social media
Andhra Pradesh seeks input from global social media firms to restrict minors' access, enhance online safety, and address abuse on digital platforms.
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to seek suggestions from major global social media platforms like Meta, X, Google and ShareChat, on restricting digital platforms for minors, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
A cabinet sub-committee meeting on strengthening accountability in social media usage was held at the secretariat on Wednesday under the chairmanship of state information technology and communications minister Nara Lokesh.
The meeting was attended by information and public relations minister Kolusu Parthasarathy, home minister V Anitha, civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar and health minister Y Satyakumar Yadav, along with senior officials.
An official statement said Lokesh suggested that representatives of major global social media platforms be invited to the next meeting of the cabinet sub-committee to deliberate on making digital platforms safer — especially for women and children.
“The engagement will focus on platform accountability, safeguards for minors, mechanisms to curb online abuse, and evolving international norms in digital governance,” the statement said.
Lokesh said that trust in social media platforms is steadily eroding, with children increasingly slipping into excessive and addictive usage that is adversely impacting their education and attention spans, while women continue to face relentless online abuse and harassment.
He directed the officials to formulate clear rules and regulations to keep minors below a prescribed age away from social media platforms. He asked them to examine the policies being followed in countries such as Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and France, where restrictions are being implemented to regulate children’s access to social media.
He instructed officials to study these international frameworks and prepare guidelines in accordance with Supreme Court directions in India.
Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar informed the committee that Malaysia has introduced a strict verification system where access to social media is permitted only for individuals aged 16 years and above.
He explained that Malaysia links social media access through e-KYC authentication, integrating users’ My Digital ID and passport details.
The ministers unanimously agreed that children must be kept away from social media platforms, considering the growing concerns over online safety.
However, the committee asked officials to examine laws across different countries before deciding on the exact age limit to be imposed in Andhra Pradesh.
Lokesh also issued a strong warning against those spreading fake news and making inflammatory comments based on caste, religion, or region on social media. He said strict action should be taken against habitual offenders indulging in hate speech and divisive content.
The meeting decided to issue a notification for appointing a state-level adjudicating officer under Section 46 of the Information Technology Act to take action against those posting hateful or unlawful content online.
Officials also informed the committee that in certain cases, action is being initiated through the Sahyog Portal, which operates under the Central government.
