Bengaluru, March 6 — The southern Indian state of Karnataka on Friday announced a ban on social media use for children under 16, becoming the first state in India to take such a step as concerns grow globally over minors’ online exposure and digital addiction.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made the announcement during his annual budget speech, saying the measure aims to shield children from the harmful effects of excessive mobile phone and internet use.
“With the objective of preventing adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16,” Siddaramaiah said.
The chief minister did not specify when the ban would take effect or how it would be implemented.
The move comes as governments around the world debate restrictions on children’s access to social media. Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide ban on social media for minors in December, while policymakers in United Kingdom, Denmark and Greece are also studying similar measures.
India — one of the world’s largest digital markets — has more than a billion internet users and about 750 million smartphones, making it a crucial market for global technology companies. The country is the largest user base for platforms owned by Meta Platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Karnataka, home to the technology hub of Bengaluru, hosts major global firms such as Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Dell Technologies and Google, giving the state the reputation of being India’s Silicon Valley.
According to a 2019–20 survey by India’s federal health ministry, less than a quarter of Karnataka’s population is under the age of 15. The state has an estimated population of 67.6 million, according to figures cited by government think tank NITI Aayog.
Debate over children’s online access is also emerging elsewhere in India. The neighbouring state of Goa is considering a similar restriction, its IT minister said earlier this year, while a lawmaker in Andhra Pradesh has proposed a bill to curb social media use among minors.
In January, India’s chief economic adviser also called on the federal government to introduce policies limiting social media access based on age in order to tackle what he described as growing “digital addiction”.
However, some activists and technology experts argue that outright bans may not be effective, saying children can bypass age restrictions using fake identification and that efforts should instead focus on helping families develop safer and healthier online habits.