Karnataka to ban social media for children under 16

Bangalore: The Karnataka government has proposed banning social media use for children under 16, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announcing the move during the presentation of the State Budget on Friday.

The proposed restriction aims to curb the “adverse effects of increasing mobile usage” among children and address concerns over digital addiction and exposure to harmful online content, the Chief Minister said in his budget speech.

If implemented, Karnataka could become the first state in India to impose such a restriction on social media access for minors, reflecting a growing global debate over regulating children’s use of digital platforms.

The proposal comes amid rising concern among policymakers and educators about the impact of excessive mobile phone and social media use on children’s mental health, behaviour and academic performance. Earlier discussions within the government had also explored restricting mobile phones or social media access for children in order to address these issues.

Officials have not yet clarified when the proposed ban would come into effect or how it would be enforced. Experts have pointed out that age-based restrictions could be difficult to implement, as minors may bypass such rules using fake identities or shared accounts.

The move also mirrors steps taken in other parts of the world. Australia introduced a ban on social media for children below 16 last year, while several European countries are examining similar regulations.

India is one of the world’s largest social media markets, with hundreds of millions of smartphone users and over a billion internet users, making any regulation on digital access a significant policy issue.