The Andhra Pradesh government is exploring the possibility of restricting social media access for children under the age of 16, signalling a potential regulatory shift that could materially impact social platforms and the broader digital advertising ecosystem.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, state IT Minister Nara Lokesh told Bloomberg News that the state was closely examining Australia’s regulatory approach to protecting minors online. “As a state, we are studying Australia’s under-16 law, and yes, I believe we need to create a strong legal enactment,” he said.

In 2024, Australia announced plans to bar children under 16 from accessing social media platforms, citing concerns around mental health, cyberbullying, online harm and the influence of addictive algorithms. The policy followed growing evidence linking excessive social media use among minors to anxiety, depression and self-harm.

Crucially, the framework placed the onus on social media companies to enforce age limits through robust age-verification systems.

The restrictions came into force on 10 December 2025. Since then, platforms operating in Australia have reportedly deactivated or restricted millions of accounts identified as belonging to users under 16, significantly shrinking the teen user base available to advertisers.

According to reports, Andhra Pradesh is seriously evaluating whether a similar model could be implemented at the state level.

If enacted, Andhra Pradesh would become the first Indian state to formally acknowledge and regulate the impact of social media exposure on minors, a move that could have far-reaching implications for platforms, advertisers and youth-focused digital strategies, and prompt platforms, brands and agencies to rethink youth targeting, data usage and compliance frameworks.