Regulating internet is Centre’s domain, social media ban imposed by A.P., Karnataka may hit jurisdictional barrier

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh's social media bans for children face jurisdictional challenges amid central government regulations on internet use.

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh announced a ban on social media use by children under 16 and below 13 respectively on Friday (March 6, 2026). While Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the move aims to safeguard children against the negative impact of social media, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the State will introduce regulations within 90 days.

But the announcements may run into a well-recognised barrier as regulating the internet is the exclusive domain of the Union government.

“India’s digital and intermediary framework has largely been structured through Central law, including the IT Act and the IT Rules,” Garima Saxena, an analyst at the think tank The Dialogue, which works with tech firms.

Recently, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government was discussing age-based restrictions on social media use but did not indicate about its implementation as yet.

A senior official said the government will observe how a such a ban imposed by a State works before responding.

Ms. Saxena said that while a State may still try to justify intervention “through concerns such as public order, public health, or child welfare”, the moment such a measure starts operating directly on digital intermediaries or access to online services, “it is likely to face questions of constitutional fit, overlap with central legislation, and practical enforceability.”