Karnataka to ban social media use for children under 16

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced that the government will ban the use of social media for children under the age of 16.

Presenting the state Budget 2026-’27, the Congress leader said the decision had been taken “to protect children from the harmful effects of excessive mobile and social media use”.

He did not mention when the ban would take effect.

Once implemented, Karnataka will become the first state in the country to impose such a ban.

In 2025, the Andhra Pradesh government said that it was considering a ban on social media for children under the age of 16.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Nara Lokesh, Andhra’s information technology minister, said after Siddaramiah’s proposal. “Sometimes good ideas travel fast. Wishing them success in taking it forward.”

Siddaramaiah’s announcement on Friday came weeks after he had sought the views of vice-chancellors at the Karnataka State Higher Education Council on a proposal to restrict mobile phones and social media access for children, The News Minute reported.

“In line with various other countries like Australia, there is a thought to ban mobile phones among students,” the chief minister had said. “We are looking at this.”

In December, Australia became the first country in the world to block social media for those under 16.

In India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act requires a data fiduciary to obtain verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian before processing the personal data of a child.

Advocacy group warns against ‘headline-driven prohibitions’

After the Karnataka government’s announcement, the advocacy group Internet Freedom Foundation said that child safety online “demands serious, evidence-based policy not headline-driven prohibitions”.

It added that the announcement raises questions about whether its implementation will require state legislation, or if it will mandate age-verification systems that “create fresh privacy risks for all users, including adults”.

The group asked if the ban would also apply to educational and informational uses of the internet.

“While we recognise and share concerns about children's safety and wellbeing online, IFF has consistently cautioned that blanket social media bans are a disproportionate response that can do more harm than good,” it said.

The advocacy group added: “Such bans often fail to address root causes such as platform design choices that maximise engagement over safety, inadequate data protection frameworks, and poor digital literacy infrastructure while restricting children's right to information, expression, and participation.”

Also read:

• Social media bans won’t keep teenagers safe – Finland shows a better approach
• Australia’s social media ban for underage teens, children kicks in. Will other countries follow?