New Delhi: Meta Platforms has cautioned governments against imposing blanket social media bans on teenagers, saying such restrictions could drive young users toward unregulated and potentially unsafe online spaces. The company’s remarks come as policymakers in the Indian state of Karnataka consider a proposal to prohibit social media access for children below the age of 16.
The debate intensified after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the plan during his budget speech on Friday. The proposal aims to address growing concerns about excessive mobile phone use and its possible impact on children’s mental health, safety and academic focus.
Karnataka proposes a social media ban for children under 16
In his address, Siddaramaiah said the state government intends to introduce restrictions on social media usage for minors below 16 years. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce the negative effects of rising smartphone use among young people.
“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,” Siddaramaiah said during the budget presentation.
The proposal is based on the continued deliberations among policymakers regarding the control of digital exposure in minors. Authorities think that the action would aid in reducing the addictive behaviour, exposure to unhealthy content and online dangers that young people can be subjected to.
Meta says bans could create unintended risks
In reaction to the proposal, Meta Platforms has indicated that it will help in making the internet safer for the youths but that blanket bans can also have unintended effects.
One of the representatives of the company stated that Meta has the same objective shared by lawmakers, namely, safe and positive online experiences by teenagers. The company, however, claimed that this restriction could make the teens shift to platforms that do not offer such safety measures.
Meta suggests that parental intervention in the control of the activities of teenagers on the Internet should be a larger part. The company mentioned that a more effective solution can be policies to enable parents to authorise or deny downloads of applications using the app store controls.
Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) in a statement said, “In the Indian context, where girls and young women already face significant barriers to digital access, a ban framed around “protection” can easily become another tool to deny them connectivity altogether.”
Statement by the Internet Freedom Foundation on Karnataka’s Social Media Ban for Children Under 16
March 6, 2026
Today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced during the Karnataka Budget 2026–27 speech that the state will ban social media use for children under the age of 16.…
— Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) March 6, 2026
The company calls for a broader approach to online safety
Another fact mentioned by Meta is that teenagers use dozens of various apps on average every week. Due to this, restrictions related to online safety will not be completely covered by concentrating on several significant social media platforms.
The firm further stated that prohibitions would drive the teens to less secure, unregulated platforms or logged-out browsing experiences that do not use the default protections offered by Instagram Teen Accounts.
Meta stated that it will adhere to any legislation implemented by governments but encouraged policymakers to think about moderate rules that will be applicable to the broader digital ecosystem.
Growing debate over children’s smartphone use
The suggestion in Karnataka belongs to a larger debate regarding the way to approach the exposure of children to digital environments. The role of smartphones and social media among young users has become an issue of concern by leaders of states.
The need to control excessive use of mobile phones among children has also been discussed by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge.
Siddaramaiah had attempted earlier to consult the opinion of university vice chancellors on whether mobile phones ought to be banned for children below the age of 16, which underlines the attention of the government towards resolving the problem.