The Karnataka government’s proposal to ban social media access for children under the age 16 seems like a decisive and a long overdue step towards protecting young people from online harms.

But policies built on prohibition often collapse the moment they meet reality.

A blanket ban on social media for under-16s is deeply problematic, practically unenforceable, and risks undermining children’s rights in the digital age. It also reflects a growing policy reflex: when faced with digital risks, governments reach for bans instead of building systems that help children navigate the internet safely.

They shift responsibility away from platforms, reduce incentives to build safer systems and ignore the evolving capacities of young people themselves.

Karnataka appears to have taken a leaf out of Australia’s playbook, where the government banned teenagers and children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts. Three months on, it is unclear how effective Australia’s experience has been.

Social media bans make headlines, but harder questions remain unresolved: how will age be verified across platforms and how will children’s rights be protected? It is also unclear if it is even legal or technically feasible for a state government to ban social media access for teenagers.

Update: As per the text of the budget speech there is...

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