Children should be kept away from social media: Minister Nara Lokesh

The state government is working towards framing clear guidelines to keep minors away from social media platforms. Minister for Education, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh directed officials to develop a structured policy framework during a ministers’ group meeting held at the Secretariat to strengthen accountability on social media.

The minister emphasized studying global practices followed in countries like Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and France regarding age-based restrictions on social media usage. He instructed officials to consider Supreme Court guidelines while drafting regulations suitable for the state.

Minister Nadendla Manohar highlighted that Malaysia allows social media access only to individuals above 16 years through digital ID and e-KYC linkage. Ministers unanimously agreed on the need to restrict minors from social media, while recommending further study of international laws to finalize the age limit.

The meeting also focused on taking strict action against habitual offenders spreading fake news and hate speech based on caste, religion, or region. Social media platform compliance officers from Google, Meta, and Twitter are expected to be invited for the next meeting.

Officials informed that steps are being taken under Section 46 of the IT Act to appoint a state-level adjudicating officer, and that certain cases are already being addressed through the central government’s Sahyog portal. Cybercrime control measures and the establishment of cyber police stations were also discussed.