BENGALURU / AMARAVATI — In a coordinated move to combat digital addiction and safeguard the mental health of the youth, the state governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on Friday announced unprecedented bans on social media usage for minors. These landmark decisions, revealed by Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and N. Chandrababu Naidu respectively, position the two southern states at the forefront of a growing national and global movement to regulate children’s access to digital platforms.
Karnataka: First to Propose Statewide Under-16 Ban
During the presentation of the 2026-27 State Budget in the Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the state will ban social media for children under the age of 16. The policy, part of a ₹4.48 lakh crore budget, is designed to address the “adverse effects of increasing mobile usage” on children’s cognitive development and academic focus.
The move follows months of deliberation within the state government and consultations with university vice-chancellors. To support this transition, the Karnataka budget also allocated funds for appointing qualified mental health counsellors at each of the 204 Block Resource Centres (BRCs) to assist students grappling with digital dependency and academic pressure.
Andhra Pradesh: Immediate 90-Day Deadline for Under-13s
Simultaneously, in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu declared that social media will be prohibited for children below 13 years of age within the next 90 days. Naidu emphasized that the government is actively debating whether to extend this restriction to the 13–16 age bracket, aligning with the standards set by Karnataka and countries like Australia.
“Youngsters below a certain age should not be on such platforms, as they do not fully understand the content they are exposed to,” Naidu told the House. The Andhra Pradesh government intends to use the next three months to establish a robust legal framework and mandatory age-verification protocols in collaboration with technology companies and internet service providers.
A Growing Global and National Trend
These announcements reflect a broader shift in Indian policy, mirrored by comments from Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the recent AI Impact Summit 2026, where he acknowledged that age-based regulation has become a global necessity. While digital rights advocates have raised concerns about the feasibility of enforcement and potential privacy risks associated with age-verification, the widespread public support from parents and educators suggests a strong mandate for these protective measures.
