In a landmark step to curb digital addiction among minors, the southern Indian state of Karnataka on March 6 announced a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16, becoming the first state in India to introduce such restrictions.

The decision was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his annual budget speech, where he said the measure aims to shield children from the adverse effects of excessive mobile and internet use.

“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,” Siddaramaiah said.

The move comes amid growing global concern over children’s exposure to social media platforms and the psychological and behavioural impact of excessive online engagement. 

In December, Australia became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on social media for minors, while governments in the United Kingdom, Denmark and Greece are examining similar measures.

India, one of the world’s largest social media markets, has more than a billion internet users and around 750 million smartphones. For Meta, the country represents its largest user base globally across platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Home to the tech hub Bengaluru—often dubbed India’s Silicon Valley—Karnataka hosts major global technology firms including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Dell and Google.

The state has a population of about 67.6 million, according to estimates cited by NITI Aayog, while a 2019–20 survey by India’s federal health ministry indicated that less than a quarter of the population is under the age of 15.

Karnataka’s decision could trigger similar policy debates elsewhere in India. The neighbouring state of Goa has already begun considering a comparable ban, while a lawmaker in Andhra Pradesh proposed legislation earlier this year to restrict social media access for children. 

India’s chief economic adviser has also urged the central government to frame age-based policies to tackle growing “digital addiction” among young users.

However, some activists and technology experts caution that outright bans may be difficult to enforce. They argue that children can easily bypass age restrictions using fake identification and instead advocate stronger digital literacy initiatives to help parents and young users develop safer and healthier online habits.