Karnataka social media ban: Meta says it should cover all apps teens use

Karnataka proposes banning social media for children below 16 in its 2026-27 budget; Meta says restrictions should apply uniformly across apps

The Karnataka government on Friday announced plans to ban social media use for children below the age of 16 as part of the state budget for 2026–27.

 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the measure aims to address the adverse effects of rising mobile phone usage among children.

 

“Social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 to prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile usage. The ban is aimed at preventing the negative impact on children caused by increasing mobile phone usage,” Siddaramaiah said in his budget speech.

 

Responding to the proposal, Instagram and Facebook parent Meta said it would comply with social media bans where they are enforced, but argued that targeting a limited number of platforms may not effectively address online safety concerns.

 

 

“We’ll comply with social media bans where they are enforced, but with teens using around 40 apps weekly, targeting a handful of companies won’t keep them safe. Bans should apply equally across the many apps teens use,” the company said in a statement.

 

Meta also cautioned that restrictions could unintentionally push teenagers towards less safe or unregulated online spaces, or logged-out experiences that bypass safety protections such as safeguards built into Instagram’s Teen Accounts.

 

The company added that it shares the objective of ensuring safer digital environments for young users and believes parents should play a central role in deciding which apps their teenagers use.

 

“We support laws that empower parents to approve teen app downloads on the app store,” the statement said.

 

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh is also considering similar restrictions. Speaking in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the state government was exploring steps to restrict social media access for children below 13 years of age.

 

Referring to a proposal suggested by IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Naidu said the government plans to introduce a programme within the next 90 days to prevent children under 13 from accessing social media.

 

He added that the government is also examining possible regulations for the 13–16 age group and will take a decision after wider consultations.

 

Naidu said the government remains committed to ensuring that children are protected from the negative effects of excessive social media use.