Karnataka To Ban Social Media Use For Children Under 16, Says Siddaramaiah In Budget

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, during state’s 2026–27 Budget presented in the Assembly.

The proposal had been discussed earlier in February at the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, where Siddaramaiah sought the views of vice-chancellors on restricting mobile phones and social media access for minors. While most supported the idea, some raised concerns about practical enforcement.

Several pointed out that many private and elite schools assign homework through mobile applications, complicating a blanket restriction. Siddaramaiah acknowledged the issue but indicated his primary concern was students in government schools.

The issue of restricting children’s access to social media has become a national conversation. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union IT Minister, said India is exploring age-based restrictions on social media for children while speaking on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

However, no legislative timeline or enforcement mechanism has been announced alongside the Budget provision. How the ban will be implemented in practice remains the key question going forward.