Karnataka Proposed Ban On Social Media For Children In Budget of 2026-27

In the Karnataka Budget 2026 The State government proposed a social media ban. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government plans to ban social media use for children under the age of 16. This proposed to protect them from harmful online content and digital addiction. The move makes Karnataka the first Indian state to propose such a restriction. The proposal comes amid growing global concerns about the mental health impact of excessive social media use in children.

Karnataka Social Media Ban

The State of Karnataka social media ban proposal was announced in the presenting the state Budget of this year.  The government said the step will be aimed at reducing negative effects of excessive mobile usage among children and teenagers. The Higher Authorities believe that unrestricted access to social media platforms can harm mental health and increase digital dependency among children.

The social media ban under 16 in Karnataka is just a policy proposal. The government has not yet decided how it will implement age verification or enforcement mechanisms various social media platforms operating in the state.

Concerns Behind Karnataka Social Media Ban

The Karnataka social media ban proposal come at a time when growing concerns about digital addiction among children and teenagers. Experts and policymakers say children are increasingly exposed to harmful content, targeted advertisements and excessive screen time on social media platforms.

These factors may negatively affect mental health , their academic performance and overall well being or lifestyle.  Because of these concerns several countries and governments are discussing age based restrictions for social media platforms. The state government said the social media ban under 16 is to create a safer digital environment for childrens.

Andhra Pradesh Consideration For Social Media Restrictions

Just after the Karnataka social media ban announcement the Andhra Pradesh government also proposed restrictions on social media use for children. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the state government is looking ways to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing social media platforms.

The Andhra government plans to introduce a programme within the next 90 days to implement such restrictions. Officials are also discussing possible regulations for teenagers aged 13 to 16. Which may include limited or monitored social media access instead of a complete ban.

Centre Government Consideration For Age Based Social Media Regulation

The news around the social media ban under 16 in India has also reached the national level. Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw recently stated that several countries are considering age based social media restrictions.

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act includes provisions related to children’s data protection and parental consent for digital services. The central government is also now exploring whether stronger age based access restrictions for social media should be introduced nationwide.

Global Outlook of Social Media Age Restrictions

Around the several world governments are increasingly discussing age restrictions on social media platforms to protect young users. Just few months ago Australia recently banned social media access for children under 16 due to concerns about mental health and online safety.

Several European countries are also considering similar policies. France also initiated the Age based regulation for children in the country. The overall goal is to create balanced regulations that protect children while allowing responsible digital access.

Question

Q. Which state proposed banning social media for children under 16 in its Budget?

A. Maharashtra
B. Karnataka
C. Telangana
D. Kerala