The Karnataka government has proposed banning social media use for children below 16 years. The move aims to address concerns about excessive mobile phone use among minors.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the proposal during his 2026–27 Budget speech. The State’s Budget document also mentions the plan.
The government said the measure seeks to protect children from the harmful effects of growing 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 states.
Link With India’s Data Protection Framework
The proposal also relates to India’s data protection framework under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025.
Section 9 of the DPDP Act requires data fiduciaries to obtain verifiable parental consent before processing a child’s personal data. The law places responsibility on online platforms to ensure such consent.
Platforms must process a child’s data only with permission from a parent or lawful guardian.
Requirements Under DPDP Rules
The DPDP Rules, 2025 set out the procedure for verifying parental consent.
Rule 10 requires platforms to adopt technical and organisational safeguards before processing a child’s personal data. Platforms must verify that the person giving consent is an identifiable adult.
They may rely on reliable identity and age credentials issued by authorised entities. These may include government-recognised identity systems and Digital Locker services.
Under this framework, social media platforms must already implement age-verification and parental consent systems before allowing minors to create accounts.
State Proposal May Add Additional Regulatory Layer
The Karnataka proposal may add another regulatory layer.
The central data protection framework focuses mainly on parental consent and data protection safeguards. However, the State’s proposal seeks to directly prohibit social media use for children below 16 years.
The government is expected to frame detailed rules to implement the proposal. These rules may specify age-verification systems and compliance obligations for social media platforms.
Measures To Address Drug Abuse In Educational Institutions
The Budget speech also raised concerns about drug abuse in educational institutions.
The government said schools, colleges and universities shape the health and character of students.
