Social media access for under-16s banned in Karnataka

CM Siddaramaiah underlined the adverse impact of increased mobile usage, announcing a ban on social media for under-16s in Karnataka.

On Friday, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, spoke about the adverse impact of increased mobile phone use by kids and announced a ban on social media use by under-16s in the state. He presented a ₹4.48 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2026–27, announcing reforms combining technology-driven learning initiatives with regulatory measures to protect children online.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announces a social media ban for under-16s.

While presenting a ₹4.48 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2026–27, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah announced reforms, including regulatory measures, to protect children online. When implemented, Karnataka will be the first state in the country to restrict social media usage for children as governments globally seek to limit its impact on mental health, sleep, and safety. In December, Australia banned social media for under-16s. Some European countries have adopted or are considering similar restrictions. Britain this month sought the views of parents and children on banning social media access for under-16s and imposing restrictions on gaming platforms and artificial intelligence. Siddaramaiah said, “To prevent adverse effects of increasing mobile usage on children, usage of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16.”

More on the reforms announced by the Karnataka CM.

He even proposed an Artificial Intelligence-based learning system for students. He said the state government will introduce a personalised digital tutoring system developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad to support students from Classes 8 to 12. The programme is set to benefit around 1.22 million students and will be implemented at an estimated cost of ₹5 crore. In higher education, the state government plans to expand and strengthen institutions while addressing staffing shortages. The University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bengaluru will receive ₹500 crore for development on the lines of IITs, with an allocation of ₹100 crore in the current year. Other education-related measures include a three-year investment of ₹3,900 crore to expand the Karnataka Public Schools system from lower kindergarten to Class 12, growing it to 800 schools. The state has even authorised the recruitment of 2,000 teaching staff for degree colleges, polytechnics, and engineering colleges. The government plans to recruit 15,000 teachers for primary and high schools. Besides this, he announced the introduction of the RohithVemula Bill to address caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.

Siddaramaiah also introduced what he called the “11G Economic Model,” describing it as a strategy to balance economic expansion with social welfare. He announced home-based palliative care services for patients suffering from severe, chronic, and terminal illnesses, in collaboration with Pallium India. Also, the metro network in Bengaluru would be expanded, with about 41 km of new lines expected to be added over the next year, benefiting nearly 1.5 million people.