Karnataka proposes social media ban for under-16s
Karnataka's chief minister has proposed banning anyone under 16 from using social media, aiming to protect young people from the negative effects of too much screen time.
The idea was announced during the state budget; initial remarks gave few enforcement details, and the government later published a draft policy proposing potential enforcement and implementation measures (including Aadhaar-enabled age verification and school-level guidance).
Concerns over legality, privacy, and free speech implications
This plan has sparked a lot of questions, mainly about whether the state can legally do this and how it would impact privacy and free speech.
Groups like the Internet Freedom Foundation are worried about age checks and personal data, while Meta (the company behind Instagram and WhatsApp) says bans might just push teens toward less safe corners of the internet.
Some experts also point out that tech-savvy teens could find ways around restrictions, such as using shared devices or other circumvention methods.