The state government is positioning itself as the first in India to take a formal legislative stance against the “addictive and harmful” nature of social media algorithms on developing minds.
Formation of the Group of Ministers (GoM)
On January 23, 2026, the government officially constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to fast-track the legal and technical study of the ban.
- Chairman: Nara Lokesh (Minister for IT, HRD, and Electronics).
- Key Members: Vangalapudi Anitha (Home Minister) and Satya Kumar Yadav (Health Minister).
- Mandate: The panel will study global best practices (specifically Australia and the UK) and submit recommendations to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu within one month.
Core Objectives & Rationale
The GoM has identified several key areas of concern that necessitate state intervention:
- Emotional Maturity: Minister Lokesh stated that children under 16 often lack the maturity to process the violent, sexual, or toxic content they encounter online.
- Curbing Online Abuse: Home Minister Anitha noted a sharp rise in cases where minors are either victims or perpetrators of online harassment, “fake news,” and derogatory attacks.
- Mental Health Protection: The study aims to link excessive social media usage with rising rates of anxiety and behavioral changes in school-going children.
Potential Implementation Barriers
| Challenge | Proposed Solution / Consideration |
| Age Verification | Discussing a mandatory requirement for users to upload government-issued age proof (e.g., Aadhaar) to create accounts. |
| Jurisdiction | Social media regulation is primarily a Central (Federal) subject. The AP government plans to share its report with the Union Government to advocate for a national law. |
| VPN/Circumvention | Exploring technical blocks with telecom providers, though experts warn that total enforcement remains difficult due to IP masking. |
The “Australia Model” Benchmark
Andhra Pradesh is specifically looking at the Australian framework, which:
- Places the onus on platforms (Meta, TikTok, X) to verify ages, not the parents.
- Imposes massive fines (up to $33 million) on companies that fail to remove underage users.
- Has already led to the deactivation of over 4.7 million accounts in Australia as of January 2026.
Conclusion: A Precedent for India
If enacted, Andhra Pradesh would be the first Indian state to formally recognize social media exposure as a public health concern for minors. While the Madras High Court had previously suggested such a ban in late 2025, the AP government is the first to move the issue into active policymaking. The outcome of the GoM’s report in late February will likely serve as a blueprint for other Indian states considering similar digital safeguards.
