Andhra Pradesh mulling over ban on social media for children below 13

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday (March 06) said the Andhra Pradesh government is planning to introduce measures to restrict social media access for children below 13 years of age in order to protect them from its potential negative impact.

Speaking in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the proposal, suggested by Minister for IT and Education Nara Lokesh, is currently under consideration and a programme to implement the restriction is likely to be rolled out within the next 90 days. He added that the government is also examining possible regulations for children in the 13–16 age group and will take a final decision after wider consultations and consensus. Mr. Naidu emphasised that the government is committed to safeguarding children from the harmful effects of excessive social media usage and ensuring their overall well-being.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lokesh also reacted to a similar proposal announced in the neighbouring Karnataka. During his Budget speech, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced his government’s plan to ban social media use for children below 16 years to address concerns about the growing impact of mobile phone and social media usage among youngsters.

Responding to it, Mr. Lokesh remarked on X: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and said he was pleased to see Karnataka considering restrictions on social media for young users. He noted that Andhra Pradesh had earlier proposed similar measures aimed at protecting young minds from the darker side of the digital world and wished the Karnataka government success in implementing the idea.