The Indian states of Goa and Andhra Pradesh are considering implementing a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, drawing inspiration from a similar law enacted in Australia. Goa's Information Technology Minister, Rohan Khaunte, confirmed the government is studying the Australian framework, citing rising concerns from parents over the impact of social media on children's mental health and its distraction from education.
Andhra Pradesh, a much larger state by population, is also exploring similar regulatory action and has reportedly formed a ministerial panel to study global models. While there is currently no national-level restriction on social media access for minors in India, these state-level discussions could pose significant challenges for platforms like Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and Google's YouTube, which count India as one of their largest markets. The companies have not yet publicly commented on the proposals.