Andhra Pradesh Imposes Social Media Ban for Children Under 13

New Social Media Restrictions in Andhra Pradesh

On Friday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced a ban on social media for children aged 13 and under. This policy is set to be implemented in phases over the next 90 days. Naidu also mentioned that the state government is considering whether to extend this ban to teenagers aged 13 to 16. He indicated that further measures may be introduced following consultations and a review of the policy.

Karnataka's Similar Initiative

This announcement follows a similar move by the Karnataka government, which recently declared a ban on social media usage for children under 16. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made this announcement while presenting the state budget for the fiscal year 2026-27. He stated that this decision aims to mitigate the adverse effects of increasing mobile phone usage among children.

Budget Proposals and Educational Initiatives

While presenting the budget, Siddaramaiah emphasized the need to curb the negative impacts of mobile phone usage on children, leading to the restriction on social media for those under 16. In addition to the social media ban, the Karnataka government also unveiled several initiatives related to education and student welfare. Reports indicate that the state plans to fill 15,000 vacant teaching positions in schools and colleges in the upcoming fiscal year.