The Government of Karnataka announced a ban on social media use for children under 16, with Siddaramaiah stating in the 2026–27 budget that the measure aims to protect youngsters from harmful effects of excessive mobile phone and social media exposure.
KARNATAKA: The Karnataka government has declared a ban on social media usage for children below 16 years of age, highlighting concerns over the negative effects of excessive mobile phone use on young individuals.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced this initiative during his budget speech. The state’s budget document for 2026–27 reinforced this decision, indicating that the goal is to shield children from the detrimental impact of increased exposure to mobile phones and social media platforms.
The budget document stated,
“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,”
This proposal aligns with India’s data protection framework established under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.
According to Section 9 of the DPDP Act, a data fiduciary must secure verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian prior to processing a child’s personal data. The rules associated with the Act further detail how such consent should be validated.
Rule 10 of the DPDP Rules, 2025 mandates that platforms employ technical and organizational measures to ensure parental consent is obtained before processing a child’s personal data. Additionally, platforms must confirm that the individual granting consent is an identifiable adult, utilizing reliable identity and age information that can come from government-recognized identity systems or Digital Locker services.
Thus, the law already requires online platforms, including social media companies, to implement age-verification and parental consent mechanisms before allowing minors to open accounts.
Karnataka’s plan to prohibit social media access for those under 16 may introduce an extra layer of regulation at the state level, extending beyond the central framework that primarily emphasizes parental consent and data protection measures.
In addition to the proposed social media restriction, the budget speech also underscored the important role of educational institutions in promoting student well-being.
It mentioned that schools, colleges, and universities are crucial in shaping the health, character, and future of students, and announced that the government will implement strategies to combat drug abuse on campuses.
The speech noted,
“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,”
While the budget speech outlines the policy intent, the state government is anticipated to establish detailed rules for its enforcement, including age verification mechanisms and compliance requirements for social media platforms.
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