Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday announced that social media will be banned for children below the age of 13 in the state, adding that the policy will be implemented in phases over the next 90 days.

Naidu also said the state government is considering whether the restriction should be extended to teenagers aged between 13 and 16, indicating that further measures could be introduced after consultations and policy review.

The announcement comes shortly after a similar move by the Karnataka government, which declared that social media usage will be banned for children under 16.

KARNATAKA ANNOUNCED SIMILAR BAN FOR UNDER-16 

Earlier on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that the use of social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 in the state.

According to a PTI report, Siddaramaiah made the announcement while presenting the Karnataka budget for the financial year 2026–27.

He said the decision was taken to prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile phone usage among children.

“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 while presenting the budget.

Alongside the social media restriction, the Karnataka government also announced several initiatives related to education and student welfare.

As per the report, the state government will fill 15,000 vacant teaching posts in schools and colleges during the next fiscal year.

The budget also allocates Rs 565 crore for the construction of new classrooms and repair works in government primary schools, high schools and pre-university colleges.

In addition, Rs 75 crore has been earmarked for building toilets in schools, while Rs 25 crore will be spent on procuring furniture for educational institutions.

The government has also allocated Rs 125 crore for maintenance work in government schools and colleges across the state.

Siddaramaiah further emphasised the role of educational institutions in shaping students’ health, character and future, and said the government will implement awareness campaigns, enforce strict discipline and set up dedicated support and counselling centres to curb drug abuse in schools, colleges and universities.

The developments signal an emerging trend among state governments to introduce regulatory measures aimed at limiting children’s exposure to social media and addressing the broader impact of digital consumption on young users.

Source: News18