Meta cautions Karnataka over under-16s' social media ban: Curbs may 'push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites'

Following Karnataka state’s decision to ban social media for minors under 16 years, Meta Platforms on Friday warned that administrations weighing such limitations must be cautious not to drive teens towards less secure, unmonitored sites or logged-out environments that lack essential safeguards.

Meta stated that it shall follow domestic regulations like bans, but remarked that with teens utilising roughly 40 apps weekly, focusing on a few companies won't ensure safety.

“Bans need to be applied equally,” the US-headquartered social media giant said in a statement.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday announced a ban on the usage of social media for those below the age of 16 years, a step intended at stopping its negative impacts on 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 state Budget for 2026-27.

Meta also mentioned like legislators, the firm, too, desires a safe, constructive online environment for young people.

‘We want the same thing as lawmakers’

"We want the same thing as lawmakers: safe, positive online experiences for young people. We believe parents should decide which apps their teens use, so we support laws that empower parents to approve teen app downloads at the app store level," it said.

"Governments considering social media bans should be careful not to push teens toward less safe, unregulated sites, or logged out experiences that lack important protections -- like the default safeguards we offer in Instagram's Teen Accounts," it added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, too, has said social media will be forbidden for children below 13 years within the coming 90 days, in the state.

Regarding Andhra Pradesh's action, Meta claimed the firm's platforms are not accessible to children under 13, and that it already requires people to be at least 13 to open an account.

"The proposal in Andhra Pradesh relating to children below 13 therefore aligns with our existing policy," the Meta statement said.

In January, the Indian leadership's Economic Survey had noted age-linked entry to online platforms must be evaluated, to prevent digital dependency and shield children from damaging material.

The Survey, presented in Parliament, had stated online platforms must be held accountable for performing age validation, and basic devices should be encouraged for children to view instructional material with protections to tackle the growing issue of digital dependency.

Several countries proposed age restrictions on social media use

Internationally, too, various nations, including Australia, France, and the United Kingdom, have enacted or suggested age limitations and tighter parental authorization rules to restrict children's entry to social media networks.

Indonesia is also shifting in that way now.

On Friday, Indonesia's Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the nation will limit social media for children under 16.

Such a mandate would guarantee that under-16 members can no longer possess accounts on high-risk platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.