Goa Proposes Social Media Ban For Under-16s, Submits Formal Plan To Centre

The Goa government has announced its intention to ban social media access for children under the age of 16, and will soon submit a formal proposal to the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Following consultations with industry and academic experts, the state will finalise a “comprehensive document” outlining its stance and forward it to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, said Goa’s Information Technology Minister, Rohan Khaunte, on Wednesday.

While acknowledging that social media regulation is a central subject, Khaunte emphasised the state’s resolve to act in the interest of young people. “At the end of the day, it’s a central subject, but we want to make our intentions clear for the benefit of the students and the youth. It is the initiative of the IT department to move constructively to look at restricting social media for youth below 16 years,” he said after a meeting.

Khaunte highlighted the difficulties faced by parents in controlling their children’s digital habits. “It is a challenge for the parents because they are not able to control. Children are using their phones as they want. A certain policy from the state will also allow the parents to find a particular comfort line,” he explained.

He added that the goal is to prevent adolescents from losing valuable years to unregulated screen time. “When a child turns 18, he should not find that he lost five years playing games,” Khaunte said.

The minister clarified that the proposal targets only harmful or non-productive usage, not technology itself. The aim is to “restrict that which is detrimental, that which gives the children no dividends.”

Instead, the government wants to promote educational tools. “At the same time, we can see how to promote educational tools like Google, where they can spend that same time learning more things, which is good for the youth, who are the future of the country,” Khaunte said.

In March, Khaunte had set up a committee to advise the government on drafting the ban, following what he described as numerous complaints from parents.

“When we talk about social media, I want to make sure that we are not talking about educational tools. We want them to embrace technology; we also need to have a balance so that they are not misdirected towards issues which are detrimental to the future of the child,” he had said at the time.

The state’s final document is expected to serve as a recommendation to the Centre, which holds the ultimate authority to enact any nationwide changes to social media access laws.