Indian state Karnataka, home to the tech hub of Bengaluru, plans to ban children under 16 from using social media, joining a growing global movement that aims to curb young people’s access to online platforms despite questions over enforcement and effectiveness.
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah announced the decision during the state’s budget speech on Friday. “To prevent the adverse effects on children from the use of mobile phones, the use of social media will be prohibited for children under the age of 16,” he said. He did not share details on how the restrictions would be enforced.
The Karnataka state government did not hold a consultation on the ban before this announcement, two sources at separate tech companies told TechCrunch.
Governments across the world have been moving to restrict children’s access to social media following years of concerns over how platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram affect young users and vulnerable people. Australia became the first country to ban social media for teenagers last December, and a slew of other countries are pursuing similar plans.
Indonesia said on Friday it would ban “high-risk platforms” such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, and Roblox for users under 16 starting March 28. Malaysia has also signaled it is examining similar measures.
The debate has been gaining traction at the national level in India, with officials in Indian states Goa and Andhra Pradesh recently saying they are studying similar restrictions. In December, the Madras High Court urged the federal government to consider Australia-style restrictions on children’s social media use, and a month later, India’s chief economic adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran proposed age-based limits on access to social media platforms he described as “predatory.”
A spokesperson for Meta told TechCrunch that the company supports measures that give parents greater control over teenagers’ app usage, but cautioned against broad social media bans.
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