Hours after Karnataka announced a ban on social media for kids under the age of 16, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said social media will be prohibited in the state for children below 13 years of age, within the next 90 days.
Addressing the Andhra assembly, Naidu said they were debating whether to extend this ban to children between 13 and 16 years of age, reported PTI.
With these announcements, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh on Friday became the first states in India to announce bans on the use of social media for children, although the proposed age limits differ between the two states.
"Definitely, we will make sure that within 90 days those below 13 years of age are not able to use social media," Naidu was quoted as saying by PTI.
The AP CM said his government will take a call on banning social media for teenagers between 13 and 16 years.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16 while presenting the state Budget for 2026–27 in the Karnataka Assembly in Bengaluru.
Explaining the move, Siddaramaiah said, "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."
Later, while addressing a press conference, he clarified that children under 16 years old can still possess mobile phones but will not be allowed to use social media platforms.
How Will The Ban Enforced?
Responding to questions on how the ban would be regulated, whether in schools, colleges or homes, Siddaramaiah said, "We will formulate a programme for that. Once the programme is finalised, we will inform you."
Earlier in January, Karnataka's Minister for Electronics, IT/BT Priyank Kharge had informed the Legislative Assembly that the state government was holding consultations regarding measures for responsible use of artificial intelligence and social media, particularly among children.
According to the report, the issue has also been discussed at the national level. The Economic Survey tabled in Parliament in January suggested that age-based access to online platforms should be considered, while also reducing online teaching in order to avoid digital addiction.
Law Brings Mixed Reactions
Speaking to the news agency, Manohar N H, a resident of Jalahalli in Bengaluru who has two school-going children, a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, opined that restricting social media for children below 16 may be good in some ways, but implementing it would be difficult.
Dr Saritha Nagaraj, Consultant, Psychology and Child Development, Motherhood Hospital in the city, told PTI that with this, the risk of poor mental health among children and teenagers, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, poor sleep, and body image issues arising from unhealthy comparisons, which can further lead to disordered eating, will be reduced.
"Their cognitive performance and emotional regulation are also likely to improve. Exposure to dangerous content will decrease, and this could help improve attention span as well as academic performance," she added.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP from the state Lahar Singh Siroya, however, welcomed the move in a social media post on 'X' saying he had raised this issue via a special mention in parliament.
I welcome the move of the Karnataka government to ban the use of social media for children below 16 years. I had raised this issue via a special mention in parliament (see the thread below). Prime Minister Modi had also spoken about securing the interest of our younger… https://t.co/Bxtz7YQbO2
— Lahar Singh Siroya (@LaharSingh_MP) March 6, 2026
How Other Countries Blocked Social Media For Kids ?
In 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 by blocking access to platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Indonesia has also banned social media for children under the age of 16.
Similar bans have also been placed in Indonesia, amid a global debate over the need to safeguard children from the addiction to social media.
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