Social Media: First Indian state plans ban for children

In the southern Indian state of Karnataka, there is to be a social media ban for under-16s for the first time in all of India. Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of the state, announced this last Friday in his annual budget speech, Reuters reports. It is not yet known when the ban is to come into force. Reuters also does not explain exactly how the ban is to be implemented.

The stated goal is to protect children from the negative effects of smartphone use. Almost a quarter of Karnataka's 67.7 million residents fall into this age group. Bengaluru, the state capital, in particular, is considered a global tech hub with locations of Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.

According to market researchers, over a billion people are online in India. It is therefore one of the largest countries for social media. Meta also has about as many Indian users combined across Facebook, Instagram, and also Whatsapp. Meta's technical director Andrew Bosworth recently confirmed again that most users of Meta services live in India.

Neighboring states are also considering similar bans, according to Reuters. The Indian Express also reported last Sunday, citing government sources, that the government of the Republic of India is consulting on graduated age restrictions on social media.

Age limits not only in India

Age limits for social media use are also currently being discussed in Germany. In February, the CDU federal party conference decided that the government should introduce an age limit of 14 years for social media. The SPD had also previously called for a social media ban up to the age of 14.

As early as December last year, a ban for children and adolescents under 16 years of age came into force in Australia. In this context, access to about 4.7 million social media accounts was blocked. Similar regulations are also planned in Great Britain, France, and Greece, among others.

(mho)