Karnataka Becomes First Indian State To Announce Ban On Social Media For Children Under 16
Karnataka today became the first Indian state to ban social media use for children under the age of 16.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the landmark decision whilst presenting the state's 2026-27 budget in Vidhana Soudha, citing concerns over the harmful impact of increasing mobile usage on young people.
The budget document stated that the measure aims to prevent adverse effects associated with increased exposure to mobile phones and social media platforms.
Karnataka, home to the technology hub of Bengaluru, is the southern state where major global tech companies, including Meta, Google and Microsoft, maintain significant operations.
The proposal intersects with India's data protection framework under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
Siddaramaiah presented his record 17th budget, pegging the state's total expenditure for the financial year at over Rs 4.48 lakh crore.
Beyond the social media ban, the budget included major announcements on infrastructure development, artificial intelligence centres, and liquor taxation reforms.
The government stressed it was pursuing a development strategy balancing welfare programmes with infrastructure investments and long-term economic transformation.
The move comes as the Indian central government holds discussions with social media platforms about potential age-based restrictions nationwide.
Australia implemented a similar ban in December 2025, blocking users under 16 from accessing major social media platforms. Countries including Denmark, Spain and France are also examining comparable restrictions.
India, with over 750 million smartphone users and a billion internet users, currently does not set a minimum age for social media access, making it a key growth market for platforms like Meta and Google.