India’s Goa could ban kids from social media after Australia lead

The Indian coastal state of Goa is considering a social media ban for children under the age of 16, mirroring a policy recently introduced in Australia, as concerns mount about the impact of digital platforms on minors’ mental health. Authorities are studying Australia’s legislation — which has already led to the deactivation of millions of teen accounts — to determine whether a similar approach could work locally.

Goa’s Information Technology Minister, Rohan Khaunte, told reporters the state government is examining Australia’s regulatory framework and will decide whether to implement comparable measures if feasible.

The proposal would affect major platforms used by younger users, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Despite India being one of the largest markets for tech giants such as Meta’s Instagram, Google’s YouTube and X, there are currently no nationwide restrictions limiting social media use by minors. Reuters notes that the central government has not signalled intentions to introduce such a policy at the federal level.

The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is also exploring an Australia-style restriction, having convened a panel of ministers to assess regulatory options for children’s access to social networks.

Australia became the first country to enforce a ban on social media for children under 16 with its Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, deactivating approximately 4.7 million teen accounts in the first month. Other countries, including France, Indonesia, and Malaysia, are monitoring the impact of that law as calls for similar actions grow.