Karnataka government to ban social media use by children under 16

The Karnataka government has announced that the use of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16, citing concerns over the adverse effects of excessive mobile usage on young users.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made this announcement in his budget speech.

The State’s 2026–27 budget document also revealed the same. It stated that the measure is aimed at protecting children from the harmful impact associated with increased exposure to mobile phones and social media platforms.

“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,” the budget document noted.

The proposal intersects with India’s data protection framework under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.

Under Section 9 of the DPDP Act, a data fiduciary must obtain verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian before processing the personal data of a child. The Rules framed under the law further elaborate how such consent must be verified.

Rule 10 of the DPDP Rules, 2025 requires platforms to adopt technical and organisational measures to ensure that parental consent is obtained before processing a child’s personal data. Platforms must also verify that the person providing consent is an identifiable adult, using reliable identity and age details or credentials issued by authorised entities such as government-recognised identity systems or Digital Locker services.

The law therefore already requires online platforms, including social media companies, to implement age-verification and parental consent mechanisms before allowing minors to create accounts.

Karnataka’s proposal to ban social media use for those under 16 may therefore, add an additional layer of regulation at the State level, going beyond the central framework that focuses primarily on parental consent and data protection safeguards.

Apart from the proposed social media restriction, the Budget speech also highlighted the role of educational institutions in shaping the well-being of students.

It noted that schools, colleges and universities play a pivotal role in shaping the health, character and future of students, and said the government will introduce measures to curb drug abuse on campuses.

“To curb the menace of drug abuse within these campuses, the government will take firm measures including awareness and educational campaigns, strict discipline and the setting up of dedicated support and counselling centres,” the speech stated.

While the Budget speech sets out the policy intent, the State government is expected to frame detailed rules for its implementation, including mechanisms for age verification and compliance by social media platforms.