Amaravati, Feb 23 (NationPress) The Andhra Pradesh government is contemplating a new law to restrict social media access for school children. Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha announced this during the state Legislative Assembly session on Monday.

In a discussion focused on tackling misinformation spread through social media, she revealed that a Cabinet sub-committee has been established to propose strategies for regulating social media and combating false narratives.

The sub-committee has convened twice thus far to address various concerns comprehensively.

Among its activities, the sub-committee has analyzed the measures adopted by neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Specific attention has been given to identifying effective strategies that could be implemented in Andhra Pradesh.

According to the Home Minister, stringent actions are underway to mitigate hateful and indecent content on social media platforms.

As of now, a total of 1,384 cases related to problematic social media posts have been registered in the state, leading to the arrest of 1,067 individuals who have been presented in court.

The government has initiated the process of enacting a new law aimed at curtailing misinformation dissemination.

Last September, a ministerial group was formed to investigate best practices and recommend legislative frameworks for holding individuals accountable for spreading false information.

Recently, Nara Lokesh, Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, highlighted that the government will explore legal structures for ensuring 'age-appropriate access' to social media.

Lokesh emphasized the need for making social media a safer environment, particularly for women and children, stating, “Trust in social media is fading. Children are increasingly engaging with these platforms, which detrimentally impacts their concentration and education. Women face incessant online harassment, which cannot be overlooked.”

“The Andhra Pradesh Government is taking decisive action. In a meeting of the Group of Ministers on Social Media, we have mandated a review of legal frameworks for age-appropriate access. We are also inviting major platforms like Meta, X, Google, and Sharechat to our next meeting to consider global best practices. Our objective is to create a safer social media landscape and diminish its adverse effects, especially on women and children,” he added.

The ministerial group is currently evaluating the feasibility of imposing age restrictions or entirely banning access to specific social media platforms for individuals under the age of 16.

On February 10, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) urged the central government to implement age-based regulations for social media.

TDP Parliamentary Party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu met with Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw and submitted a memorandum advocating for policy discussions regarding age-based social media regulations for children.

He proposed that the Ministry establish a specialized committee or expert group to examine age-based social media regulation and formulate a comprehensive national policy.

The TDP MP informed the central minister that the NDA Government in Andhra Pradesh is diligently exploring this issue and working towards a robust legal framework aimed at safeguarding children online.