IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said on Monday that the Goa government is studying the possibility of introducing a ban on social media use for children below the age of 16, citing growing concerns over the impact of excessive screen time on children.
“Australia has brought in a law ensuring a ban on social media for children below the age of 16. It is something they have already done. Our [IT] department, our people have already pulled out those particular papers. We are studying them. We will talk to the chief minister, and if possible, implement a similar ban on children below 16 for usage of social media. The details will follow,” he said, adding that a formal statement could be issued before the next Assembly session.
Khaunte said the state’s IT department has already examined relevant policy papers from Australia and discussions will be held with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant before a final decision is taken.
The minister said regulating children’s access to social media would have a positive social impact, especially in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. “In the world of Artificial Intelligence, we need children to be more focused so they can grow into good citizens and take care of the future of the state and the country,” he said.
Highlighting the rising parental concerns, Khaunte said children are increasingly glued to mobile phones and social media platforms at home, even during family time. “The personal space occupied by social media has become very large and is creating complexities for children. We are studying whether a state-wide ban is legally and practically possible,” he said.
The move, according to a statement issued by the Goa Tourism and IT Ministry, was prompted by a rising number of complaints from concerned parents received over the years.
The development comes days after Andhra Pradesh IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh said the TDP-led government was also considering an Australia-like ban on social media for children under 16 and had set up a Group of Ministers to study the proposal.
Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act requires age-restricted platforms to take “reasonable” steps to identify and deactivate accounts held by under-16 users, prevent new account creation by minors, and block workarounds. The law also mandates safeguards to correct errors to ensure accounts are not removed unfairly.