{"id":68280,"date":"2026-03-07T18:11:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T12:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=68280"},"modified":"2026-03-09T19:06:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T13:36:10","slug":"social-media-ban-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-03-2026\/social-media-ban-children","title":{"rendered":"Karnataka &amp; Andhra to Ban Social Media Use by Children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Karnataka <\/strong>has announced a <strong>ban on social media use by children under 16<\/strong> in its latest Budget, and Andhra Pradesh is moving to introduce a measure that would prohibit those under 13 to use such service.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It signals the growing momentum in India <strong>to protect children from the various harms that social media platforms can cause.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andhra Pradesh has said the state will introduce s<strong>imilar regulations within 90 days.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Calls for banning social media use for children are gaining traction across the world, with the <strong>precedent set by a landmark Australian legislation<\/strong> that went into effect last year.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ban of Social Media for underage Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Though India is yet to make a regulatory move at the central level, preliminary discussions around age-based social media restrictions are learnt to have begun at the IT Ministry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Economic Survey 2025-26<\/strong> also called on the government to implement age-based limits for social media usage for children and digital ads targeted at them.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Survey\u2019s recommendation stemmed from larger concerns surrounding <strong>\u201cdigital addiction\u201d <\/strong>among young users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also stated that simpler devices, such as basic phones or education-only tablets, should be promoted among children along with enforced usage limits and content filters.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need for Ban \/ Regulation of Social Media for Underage Users in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Protection from Cyberbullying and Online Harassment: <\/strong>Children frequently face cyberbullying, trolling, and online abuse, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and social isolation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental Health and Psychological Well-being: <\/strong>Social media algorithms promote addictive scrolling, unrealistic body images, and peer pressure, negatively affecting adolescents\u2019 mental health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exposure to Harmful or Inappropriate Content: <\/strong>Underage users may encounter violent, explicit, or misleading content that is unsuitable for their age and maturity level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protection from Online Predators and Exploitation: <\/strong>Children are vulnerable to grooming, sexual exploitation, and trafficking risks on online platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reducing Screen Addiction and Improving Academic Focus: <\/strong>Excessive social media use leads to screen addiction, reducing study time, concentration, and physical activity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protection of Personal Data and Privacy: <\/strong>Minors often share personal information unknowingly, making them vulnerable to data misuse, identity theft, and targeted manipulation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Combating Misinformation and Radicalisation: <\/strong>Children may easily believe fake news, propaganda, or harmful online challenges, affecting their judgement and behaviour.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in Implementing a Ban on Social Media for Underage Users in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Difficulty in Age Verification: <\/strong>Most social media platforms rely on self-declared age, making it easy for minors to create accounts with false information.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strict verification may require identity documents, raising privacy concerns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technical and Enforcement Challenges: <\/strong>Implementing restrictions across millions of users and multiple platforms is complex.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Users may bypass bans using VPNs, alternate accounts, or logged-out browsing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Policy Inconsistency: <\/strong>If different states adopt different age limits, it may create legal and operational confusion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact on Digital Rights and Freedom of Expression: <\/strong>Blanket bans could restrict children\u2019s right to information, expression, and participation in the digital space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Risk of Driving Users to Unsafe Platforms: <\/strong>If mainstream platforms restrict access, teenagers may move to less regulated or anonymous platforms, which may expose them to greater risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Widening the Digital Divide: <\/strong>In India, social media is often used for learning, awareness, and communication.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Restrictions may disproportionately affect children from disadvantaged backgrounds who rely on digital platforms for information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gender Digital Divide: <\/strong>Families might misuse the ban to restrict girls\u2019 internet access completely, worsening the digital gender gap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Australia\u2019s Model of Social Media Regulation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Australia <strong>became the first country <\/strong>to introduce a minimum age for social media use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Social media platforms must block users under 16.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Platforms must identify and remove existing accounts of under-16 users.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They must prevent new accounts or workarounds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mechanisms must exist to correct errors in account removal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rationale Behind the Australian Law<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> Protect children from online risks and psychological pressure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Issues identified:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Addictive design features that increase screen time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Harmful content affecting mental health and wellbeing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A survey by the Australian eSafety Commissioner found over 50% of young Australians experienced cyberbullying on social media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A balanced approach combining regulation, platform responsibility, digital literacy, and parental involvement is essential to ensure children\u2019s online safety while protecting their digital rights and access to information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: IE<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Karnataka has announced a ban on social media use by children under 16 in its latest Budget, and Andhra Pradesh is moving to introduce a measure that would prohibit those under 13 to use such service. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It signals the growing momentum in India to protect children from the various harms that social media platforms can cause. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Andhra Pradesh has said the state will introduce similar regulations within 90 days. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Calls for banning social media use for children are gaining traction across the world, with the precedent set by a landmark Australian legislation that went into effect last year.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/07-03-2026\/social-media-ban-children \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68280"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68322,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68280\/revisions\/68322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}