Guidelines for social media ban for under-16 children will be discussed before bringing in law, says Education Minister

The State government will come out with guidelines to curb social media access to children below 16 years in the next legislature session, and following a detailed discussion, a legislation will be introduced, said School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Monday (March 23). He also said that the Information Technology Department has set up a committee to study this issue.

“The proposed guidelines will be circulated well in advance to elicit suggestions before taking it up for discussion. It is very important for us to protect children from the ill effects of social media. We want our methodology to be a model,” he said, replying to a question from BJP’s Pratap Simha Naik and Janata Dal (Secular) member Javarayi Gowda.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier announced the proposed ban on social media use by children below 16 years and it had also found mention in the Budget.

To consult parents

The Minister said that the government will also consult parents to understand ways to restrict the use of social media by children below 16 years, since mobile phones are also used for communication. The government is reviewing similar social media bans being implemented in several countries across the world, he added.

Just like the way the government introduced moral science with a free booklet this year, the social media guidelines will be brought for the benefit of children, Mr. Bangarappa stated.