BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is planning to ban social media for children below the age of 16, taking a lead from Australia and Goa.
RDPR and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge informed the Assembly on Friday that the government is mulling over the plan. Responding to senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar, who expressed concern over the abuse of social media, Kharge admitted that it is a serious issue.
Finland has taken action, the UK is mulling over it and Australia banned social media two months ago. We too in the state have launched a digital detoxification programme for responsible use of AI and social media. The IT-BT department, in collaboration with Meta, has been running it by involving over three lakh children and one lakh teachers,” he said.
He told TNIE that in March 2025, the ‘Beyond Screens’ programme was launched to help individuals struggling with digital addiction. He had announced the initiative at the GAFX 2025 summit after inaugurating a ‘Beyond Screens’ digital detox centre and an official website of the department. The detox centre serves as a dedicated hub for resources, counselling and intervention programmes for healthier digital habits.
On the floor of the House, Suresh Kumar said the Economic Survey 2025-26 submitted to the Lok Sabha on Thursday recommended the government to implement age-based restriction for social media use for children.