The southern Indian state of Karnataka, home to the tech hub Bengaluru, has announced a ban on social media use for children under 16, becoming the first state in India to introduce such a restriction.
The move comes amid growing global concerns about children’s social media addiction and unrestricted internet access. In December, Australia became the first country to impose a similar nationwide ban on social media for minors.
Countries including the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Greece are also studying the issue.
Announcing the decision during his annual budget speech, Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, said the ban aims to prevent the harmful effects of excessive mobile phone usage on children. However, he did not specify when the ban would come into effect.
India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with around 750 million smartphones and nearly one billion internet users. For Meta, the country represents its largest market, with the highest number of users on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
According to a 2019–20 survey by India’s federal health ministry, less than one-quarter of Karnataka’s population is under the age of 15. The state has an estimated population of 67.6 million, according to a 2025 presentation by the government think tank NITI Aayog.
The capital Bengaluru, often called India’s Silicon Valley, hosts global technology companies including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Dell, and Google.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Goa is also considering a similar ban. In January, a lawmaker from Andhra Pradesh proposed legislation to restrict children’s social media use.
India’s chief economic adviser has also called for national policies on age-based access limits to address growing digital addiction.
However, some activists and technology experts argue that strict age-based bans may be ineffective, noting that children can often bypass such restrictions using fake identification documents.
They have instead urged governments to focus on educating parents and children about safe and healthy social media usage.
Stay Connected with ProPakistani
Get the latest international news and global stories wherever you prefer.
Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
Funny how everyone is ok with banning social media for kids
But not the societal pressure, academic pressure and employment pressure that actually affects young kids.
Never addressing the root cause.