Goa Eyes Social Media Restrictions for Teens Amid Mental Health Concerns

Goa, a top tourist state in India, is contemplating a social media ban for children under 16, inspired by Australia's regulations, to address mental health risks. Officials in Goa and Andhra Pradesh are examining global efforts to regulate minors' social media access. No immediate comments from tech giants.

Goa, India's leading tourist state, is considering enacting a social media restriction for children akin to Australia's ban, amid rising concerns for youth mental health in a country with over a billion internet users. India has one of the largest markets for tech giants like Meta, Google's YouTube, and X but lacks national restrictions or indicators of forthcoming government plans.

The state's infotech minister, Rohan Khaunte, indicated that Goa is reviewing Australia's law to explore regulating minors' social media access, with the possibility of implementing a ban for those under 16. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh, with over 53 million residents, also considers similar measures, contrasting Goa's smaller population of 1.5 million. The central IT ministry and major tech companies have not commented on these initiatives.

In Andhra Pradesh, a senior ministers' panel has been tasked with providing recommendations within a month after analyzing global regulation efforts. Last year, Australia pioneered the ban for children under 16, leading to 4.7 million accounts being deactivated in its first month. France, Indonesia, and Malaysia are keen observers of Australia's action and may follow suit.

(With inputs from agencies.)