VIJAYAWADA: In a significant policy move aimed at protecting children in the digital ecosystem, Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive regulatory framework to restrict access to social media for children below 13 years of age and design an age-appropriate digital environment for teenagers.
Chairing a high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting with senior officials and representatives from leading social media platforms at his Undavalli residence on Thursday, Lokesh stressed the need for drafting a legislation that balances digital access with child safety, creativity and mental well-being.
The HRD Minister emphasised the need for a graded, age-based content access system, particularly for users aged 13-16, ensuring that children are not exposed to harmful or inappropriate content.
Digital child protection: AP eyes global standards
The proposed framework aims to align Andhra Pradesh with emerging global standards in digital child protection. The officials have been tasked with studying best practices from countries such as Singapore, Australia and Denmark to build a robust legal and technological framework tailored to India’s needs.
As part of enforcement architecture, the government is evaluating the use of secure age-verification mechanisms, including ‘age tokens’ integrated with DigiLocker. This could enable platforms to authenticate user age without compromising privacy, a critical step toward implementing age restrictions at scale.
Lokesh said strict action should be taken against individuals posting abusive or hateful content on social media, particularly targeting women.
Strengthening enforcement under existing IT laws, including Section 46 of the IT Act, was highlighted, with directions issued to appoint adjudicating authorities at the earliest. Recognising that regulation alone is insufficient, the government will launch large-scale awareness initiatives across the State, including digital safety education during “No Bag Day” in schools, awareness sessions for parents and students during Mega PTMs (held twice annually), outreach to women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) on online safety.
The initiative aims to build digital literacy alongside regulatory safeguards, ensuring a holistic approach to child safety. Representatives from major social media platforms briefed the GoM on existing safeguards for restricting sensitive content and handling user complaints. They expressed willingness to collaborate with the Andhra Pradesh government in implementing these measures.
The State will also seek public feedback and submit recommendations to the Government of India on aspects that fall under the Central legislative domain, indicating a potential pathway toward national-level policy evolution.