Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mentioned the state is discussing a potential ban on mobile phones for college students beneath 16, citing concerns over drug use and publicity to dangerous content material.
Addressing the vice chancellors id universities, he sought their views on proscribing college students’ mobile entry. He mentioned a number of international locations have taken steps, together with Australia and European international locations.
Earlier on Friday, Karnataka Minister for Electronics, IT/BT Priyank Kharge instructed the Legislative Meeting that the federal government is consulting on measures for accountable use of synthetic intelligence and social media, particularly amongst youngsters, in accordance to PTI.
He was responding to BJP MLA and former Minister Suresh Kumar through the dialogue on the movement of thanks to the Governor’s handle.
Kumar raised concerns over youngsters’s publicity to social media and pornographic content material. He referred to Australia’s resolution to bar entry to social media platforms for these beneath 16.
“Australia has taken a really severe resolution that youngsters beneath the age of 16 shouldn’t be uncovered to social media,” Kumar mentioned. He additionally cited the Financial Survey tabled in Parliament, which urged age-based entry to on-line platforms and decreasing on-line educating to stop digital addiction.
“Finland has taken motion, the UK is contemplating it, and it has been a few months since Australia imposed a ban,” Kharge mentioned, including that the difficulty was a severe matter.
Kharge added that the state is holding consultations on what wants to be finished to guarantee accountable use of synthetic intelligence and social media.
He mentioned his division, together with Meta, is operating a digital detox programme for greater than three lakh youngsters and one lakh academics.
(Reporting by BL Intern Tejaswini S with extra inputs from PTI)
Printed on February 22, 2026
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