Andhra Pradesh to study Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and France policies on restricting children's social media access

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh is set to formulate a policy restricting minors under a specified age from social media. Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, chairing a Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting to strengthen social media accountability, directed officials on Wednesday to study policies in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and France on curbing children's access.

He instructed them to draft guidelines incorporating Supreme Court directives. Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar who is also member of the GoM noted that Malaysia provides access to social media to those above 16 via e-KYC linked to My Digital ID and passport details. The GoM reached consensus on protecting children from social media but tasked officials with reviewing international age-limit laws.

Minister Lokesh called for strict action against fake news posters and habitual offenders inciting hate based on caste, religion, or region. He suggested summoning compliance officers from Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter) to the next GoM meeting. The panel decided to notify a state-level Adjudicating Officer under Section 46 of the IT Act to penalize hate comments. Officials reported initiating actions via the central government's Sahyog portal, with discussions covering computer-related offenses, cybercrime curbs, and cyber police stations.

Formed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in early September 2025, the GoM aims to recommend a new bill addressing gaps in current laws against online vitriol and misinformation. Members include IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, Health Minister Y. Satya Kumar Yadav, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, Housing and I&PR Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy, and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha. Its mandate is to review national social media laws, identify accountability shortfalls, and propose fixes amid concerns over cybercriminals inciting hate under anonymity.

The GoM has now urged study of global and local laws to restrict minors' usage. Government sources said NGOs will also be roped in to analyse psychological and behavioral impacts on children under 16 from social media exposure, given their limited maturity to process online content. As regulation falls under central jurisdiction, the state is exploring a special local law.