3 min readPanajiUpdated: Apr 30, 2026 05:08 AM IST
A Goa government committee has prepared a draft document and shared its inputs on the subject of restricting social media for children under the age of 16, state Tourism and IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said.
This comes after the minister said in January that the state government is studying the possibility of implementing an Australia-like law on banning social media for children under of 16.
The committee, which is examining the influence of social media on children, especially those under 16, has been deliberating certain measures, including the introduction of parental controls and application-level filters, restrictions on the use of mobile phones in schools, awareness programmes for parents and data collection of social media platforms used by children.
At an earlier meeting held last month to discuss concerns regarding the impact of social media on children and regulatory safeguards for child safety, the committee flagged issues concerning rising digital dependency, reduced attention spans, cyberbullying and access to inappropriate online content among children.
“[Regarding] restrictions on usage of social media for children under 16, I am saying restriction, not a ban. This was discussed at this forum with the industry and academia. The document, too, is ready… When we say restriction on usage of social media, we are talking about what is detrimental [for children], what does not help them to think. And maybe, social media tools like Facebook and Instagram… which are of no use if you are under 16… I am giving an example… we wish to restrict,” Khaunte said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“At the same time, we will see how we can promote educational tools like Google, where children can spend that same time learning more things, which is good for the youth and the future of the country,” he said.
The minister said that some other states, like Andhra Pradesh, have also been considering enacting a law to ban social media for children under 16 and discussions on the issue are taking place in other states as well.
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“After speaking to the Chief Minister, we will present the document to [Union Electronics and IT Minister] Ashwini Vaishnaw. The IT Act is in place. We will request certain amendments, which will become beneficial for all states. At the end of the day, it’s a central subject, but we want to make our intentions clear for the benefit of students and the youth. The initiative of the IT department is to constructively move to look at restricting social media for youth below 16 years. It is becoming a challenge for the parents, too,” Khaunte added.
Earlier in January, Andhra Pradesh IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said the Telugu Desam Party-led government was considering bringing in an Australia-like law banning social media for children under the age of 16, and that a Group of Ministers headed by him has been set up to study the proposal.
