In a significant development, the Goa government is presently examining the possibility of implementing an order banning children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
“Australia has brought in a law ensuring a ban on social media for children below the age of 16. Our [IT] department 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,” Goa Tourism and Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte told the media on Monday.
When asked about the timeline of the possible ban, Khaunte said the matter is under consideration. “As of now it is not clear whether a state-wide ban is possible [or not], we are studying it. And if it is possible, we would want to do it to ensure that things go well for the next generation,” Khaunte added.
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What prompted the social media ban?
As per a statement issued by the Goa Tourism and IT Ministry earlier today, the move was prompted by an increasing number of complaints that the department had received from concerned parents over the years.
“We have had a lot of complaints from parents. Social media and some of these platforms are becoming a distraction for the children, leading to a lot of social implications,” the ministry explained in a statement.
Explaining the reason behind mulling the ban, Khaunte told reporters that social media has almost completely occupied the personal space of children, a development which can have detrimental effects on their sense of identity and behavior.
“Today, the children are always on their mobiles on social media, whether it is at the dining table or while watching television or around family. So, the personal space occupied by social media is so large, which is also putting a sort of complex on the children,” Khaunte told reporters.
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“In the world of Artificial Intelligence, we need them to be more focused on this, which can make them good citizens and take care of the future of the state and the country. The social impact will be positive,” he added.
The overall thought, according to him, is to have children “more focused on education and technology related to education”.
Social media ban for teens in other countries
This move from the Goa government comes at a time when countries like France and UK are also moving ahead to implement an Australia-styled social media ban for children under 16 barring them from accessing platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook.
The Australian law, called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, mandates social media platforms like instagram to take “reasonable” steps to deactivate existing accounts held by under-16s and prevent them from opening new accounts.
In mid-January 2026, the Australian government announced that social media companies had deactivated or restricted approximately 4.7 million accounts following the nationwide ban for children under 16. |
