India's Tech Hub Karnataka Bans Social Media for Children Under 16

Bengaluru — Karnataka, the southern Indian state home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, announced a ban on social media use for children under 16 on Friday, becoming the first in India to implement such a restriction. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his budget speech.

Karnataka is the center of India's technology industry, with Bengaluru often called "India's Silicon Valley," hosting numerous multinational tech companies and startups. The state has historically led India's tech development, and this social media ban has drawn widespread attention.

"We will ban social media for children under 16 to prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile usage," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said during his budget speech. The ban has been included in the 2026-27 fiscal year budget plan.

With the proliferation of social media and mobile devices, mental health concerns among youth due to excessive social media use have gained increasing global attention. India is not the first country to restrict minors' access to social media—Australia, the UK, and multiple US states have already implemented or are discussing similar measures.

Notably, the specific enforcement mechanism for this ban remains unclear. Questions remain about how to verify users' ages and technically prevent minors from accessing social media platforms. Industry observers point out that social media platforms typically verify age through self-reported birth dates, a mechanism that can easily be bypassed.

It is currently unclear whether the ban applies only to Karnataka residents or to all users within the state. Other Indian regions are closely watching the policy's implementation effects, with Andhra Pradesh considering introducing similar measures to prohibit children under 13 from using social media services.

Reference Sources: Reuters, TechCrunch, Times of India