Top neurosurgeon Dr Chirag Patel suspended over sexual relationship with patient: ‘I was afraid if she…’UK neurosurgeon Dr Chirag Patel has been suspended for 8 months over a sexual relationship with a patient and prescribing her addictive meds. Published on: May 27
Biker critically hurt after crashing into parked cab on Delhi-Jaipur highwayPolice said the impact completely damaged both vehicles and set the motorcycle on fire near Narsinghpur. Published on: May 27, 2026 7:34 AM IST By Debashish Karmakar Share via Copy link A 22-year-old man was critically
From a starry new adaptation of the classic thriller to the return of the spectacular Game of Thrones prequel – and a sketch series about US history created by Larry David. Mindy Kaling has been behind the scenes more than she has been on screen lately
On the question of utility, AI seems to be on shaky groundThe biggest AI developments, decoded. 27 May 2026. Published on: May 27, 2026 8:00 AM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link Cognitive warmup. Considering what AI companies tell us, chatbots are a mix of precise elders’ wisdom and an
Love Horoscope Today for May 27, 2026: Past love may resurface for these zodiac signsLove Horoscope Today: Find daily astrological predictions for all sun signs. Published on: May 27, 2026 7:34 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link Aries Past love energy may return strongly today. Memories
Scores head to Bangladesh border amid Bengal’s migrant crackdownChief minister Suvendu Adhikari said those found to be Bangladeshi nationals should leave the country voluntarily. Updated on: May 27, 2026 7:19 AM IST By Joydeep Thakur Share via Copy link Scores of people identified by authorities
Google techie with ₹80 LPA rejected by Indian startup over college CGPAA techie earning ₹80 LPA spoke with Hindustantimes.com after an Indian startup rejected him on WhatsApp over an old college CGPA. Published on: May 27, 2026 6:47 AM IST By Trisha Sengupta Share via Copy link An Indian
'Special exam for students who skip paper on Eid': DU tells court after Muslim student's pleaA petition was filed by a fourth-semester law student challenging Delhi University’s decision to hold examinations on Eid. Updated on: May 27, 2026 7:46 AM IST By Shruti Kakkar
Karnataka’s social media ban is unlikely to keep children, teenagers offline
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.
The full contours of Karnataka’s proposal are still unclear, but regulating access to digital platforms, enforcing age verification, and compelling compliance from global technology companies typically falls within domains governed by central law and platform-level regulation. Without clarity on these questions, the proposal risks becoming symbolic.
Similarly, what happens when teenagers simply bypass restrictions? Because they almost always do.
Just as alcohol prohibition, instead of eliminating drinking, simply pushed it underground, digital bans are likely to have the same effect.
When access is blocked, teenagers will find workarounds, like borrowing devices, using a sibling’s account, misstating their age or migrating to smaller, less moderated platforms. Their digital activities continue, but will be less visible to their parents, educators and regulators.
That is why enforcement is such a weak foundation for digital policy. Social media platforms already struggle to verify the age of billions of users worldwide. Expecting perfect compliance on age verification demands ignores the technical and behavioural realities of how young people use the internet.
Blanket bans also collide with children’s rights. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises that children have the right to access information, express themselves and participate in society. In 2021, General Comment number 25 clarified that these rights extend to the digital environment. States are obligated to protect children from harm online and also to ensure they can meaningfully access digital spaces that support learning, expression and participation.
A ban disrupts the balance between protection and participation. It assumes the safest child is the disconnected child. But for many young people, the internet is where they learn, communicate, discover opportunities and participate in culture. Removing access entirely does away with the opportunity to build resilience and digital literacy under guidance.
Research carried out by the PIIIR Foundation, which this author is associated with, offers a useful reality check. The study of 200 school students between the ages of 13-16 in Rajasthan examined how teenagers actually encounter “consent” and privacy decisions while using apps. The results complicate several assumptions that underpin prohibition-style policies. First, teenagers are not as confused about digital consent as often assumed: 91% of the students demonstrated a clear understanding of what consent means, defining it as being asked for permission and having the option to agree or refuse.
Second, the common assumption that parents are better equipped to manage digital privacy settings does not always hold up. As many as 89.5% of the students said their parents do not understand app settings better than they do, while only 10.5% believed their parents were more capable of navigating these controls. Another key data insight from the research is how easily age-based restrictions are bypassed: 80.5% of the 200 students surveyed admitted they had entered a fake age at least once to create an online account, while only 19.5% said they had not.
Many regulatory proposals rely heavily on parental gatekeeping as the central mechanism for protecting children online. But if parents themselves are not consistently comfortable navigating platform settings, permissions, and privacy controls, then policies built entirely around parental oversight risk becoming symbolic rather than practical.
The issue becomes even clearer when we look at how digital consent functions in practice. Permission prompts for camera access, location sharing, or contacts rarely appear as moments of thoughtful decision-making. They appear as quick interruptions in an app’s flow. Teenagers, like adults, often click through them quickly in order to continue using the service.
The problem here is the design of digital systems.
If policymakers truly want to protect children online, the conversation must shift from who clicks “allow” to how platforms design choices.
That is the direction that global child-rights thinking has been moving. Scholars such as Professor Sonia Livingstone, a leading voice on children’s digital rights, have repeatedly cautioned against simplistic restrictions on internet access. Bans, she argues, reflect adult anxieties rather than evidence about how children spend time online.
A more effective approach focuses on age-appropriate design, safer defaults, and stronger platform accountability, rather than exclusion. Instead of trying to keep children away from the internet, governments should ensure the internet is built with children in mind.
Countries such as the United Kingdom have already moved in that direction through frameworks like the Age Appropriate Design Code, which requires platforms likely to be accessed by children to implement high privacy defaults, limit profiling and avoid manipulative design practices. That kind of regulatory approach recognises the truth that children are already online.
The real policy question is how digital spaces, which teenagers access, should be designed and governed so that children’s safety, dignity, and development are protected.
Policies should treat children as developing citizens learning to navigate the world around them.
Salik Khan is the founder of PIIR Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting children’s rights in the digital world.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: Chi-Chi’s restaurant confirms comeback date A China factory next to a weed-filled lot has become a global auto-chip choke point Farah Khan says Aryan Khan ‘has been obsessed’ with Rajat Bedi since childhood Internet divided after Karnataka proposes social media ban for under-16s Karnataka to ban social media use for children under 16 Karnataka’s Social Media Ban For Kids Sets Off Political War Of Words With Andhra Social media ban Karnataka Turkish Parliament passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s Will Income Tax Dept Access Your Social Media Can Income Tax Department Access Your Social Media
An ethical hacker who just won major prizes at a prestigious international competition says her days of competing could be numbered due to the rise of AI tools like Claude Mythos. Valentina Palmiotti - better known as Chompie - was the most successful individual at the annual Pwn2Own hacking
1 hours ago
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has announced the second phase of its “Karmayogi Housing Scheme-2025” in Narela, offering 1,522 newly built flats for government employees and pensioners. Online booking for the flats will begin on June 1 at 12 noon on a first-come, first-served basis
1 hours ago
Mackenzie Shirilla’s chilling jail nickname revealed by ex-girlfriend after fatal crash case; ‘she’s not a good person'Mackenzie Shirilla’s former prison girlfriend says the convicted Ohio woman joked about a chilling nickname behind bars. May 27, 2026
1 hours ago
Manchester City are leading the race to sign Elliot Anderson, with the Nottingham Forest midfielder leaning towards a move to Etihad Stadium instead of rivals Manchester United. There is a growing expectation Anderson will leave the City Ground this summer
1 hours ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.I’ve covered home appliances for years, and here’s why convertible refrigerators are trendingAfter analysing kitchen trends, I’ve found that standard refrigerators no longer fit
1 hours ago
Here’s why Ranveer Singh refused to meet FWICE officials to resolve Don 3 disputeFWICE chief advisor Ashoke Pandit maintained that Ranveer Singh must sit down with Farhan Akhtar to resolve the dispute surrounding Don 3. May 27, 2026, 07:23:36 IST Written by Sugandha Rawal Share via Copy link The
1 hours ago
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opens at 95.43 against the US dollar, down 17 paise from its previous close. The Indian rupee on Tuesday declined 17 paise to 95.43 per US dollar in the opening trade, as fresh US strikes in the Middle East dent optimism over an imminent peace
1 hours ago
NASA has unveiled a $20 billion plan to establish a permanent moon base, with three missions scheduled for this year to deliver equipment and test technologies. The agency aims to land astronauts in 2028, marking humanity's first outpost on another celestial world
1 hours ago
On May 26, 2014, Modi took charge as India's Prime Minister with landslide victory. He got re-elected with a bigger mandate in 2019 and again became the prime minister for the 3rd time in 2024. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed 12 years in office on Tuesday with the ruling BJP and
1 hours ago
From Punjab to West Bengal, leaders of major Opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have voiced support for the Cockroach Janta Party over the past week. The satirical political campaign has gone viral
1 hours ago
BENGALURU, May 27 (Reuters) - Global companies expect AI to accelerate the creation of new products and intellectual property at their Indian technology hubs, underlining the country's growing role as an innovation base even as the futuristic technology reshapes work
1 hours ago
MP woman sits with 42-year-old fashion designer son's corpse for 5 days, praying for his revivalPolice said a milkman went to deliver milk and reported a foul odour and seeping blood, leading to the discovery of the body five days after the man died Updated on: May 26
1 days ago
There are few ingredients as deeply tied to Indian summers as the mango. Whether eaten chilled straight from the refrigerator, folded into creamy desserts or blended into festive family recipes, mangoes occupy a space that feels equal parts nostalgic and indulgent
1 days ago
Think tanning and pigmentation are the same? Experts decode the crucial differences between the twoTanning and pigmentation are often used interchangeably, but there’s quite a difference between the two. Experts decode the difference. Published on: May 26
1 days ago
‘Don’t visit Sikkim if you litter’: Anand Mahindra sparks civic sense debateAnand Mahindra’s X post on littering in Sikkim has gone viral, sparking debate on civic responsibility and tourist behaviour. Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:46 PM IST By Vaishali Kapila Share via Copy link Industrialist
1 days ago
In February 2025, Bybit’s authorised signers approved what appeared to be a routine internal transfer from cold storage. They were using hardware wallets, multisig protection, and the operational protocols considered industry best practice. The transaction they signed was not the one displayed on
1 days ago
South Korean seven-piece BTS have won artist of the year at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for the second consecutive year, cementing their status as one of the world's biggest bands. The award, considered the ceremony's grand prize, is just the latest crown jewel for the so-called kings of K-pop
1 days ago
China and Pakistan have reached a "new broad consensus" on deepening strategic ties to beef up development of a joint economic corridor and establish the port of Gwadar as a regional connectivity hub, the neighbours said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026)
1 days ago
The First Class of AI Natives Is Graduating. Offices Are Getting Ready.They face cuts to entry-level jobs. They’re also highly sought after for their AI skills. Updated on: May 26, 2026 3:56 PM IST WSJ Share via Copy link Emma Kanjorski doesn’t consider herself an advanced AI user—at least
1 days ago
Four All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs have resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly over two days, with three of them joining the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, The Hindu reported. Three of them, Maragatham Kumaravel, the MLA from Madurantakam
1 days ago
Chinese authorities have executed a man for murdering his associate, billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi. In 2020, a disgruntled Xu Yao poisoned Lin for sidelining him shortly after he helped him land a Netflix deal, local media reported. Lin's Yoozoo Games holds the film adaptation rights for the
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Backpacking across Europe? A solo traveller and content creator suggests the perfect packing listA solo traveller shares the smartest Europe backpacking essentials
1 days ago
One Systems, the parent company of Mobikwik, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a Payment Aggregator-Physical (PA-P) licence, allowing the fintech firm to push into offline across India.The approval comes a month after the company secured a from the RBI
1 days ago
"You can't beat that!" Djokovic challenges world no. 1 Sabalenka to a clay-court dance battleTennis star Novak Djokovic revived his victory dance and challenged world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to continue their playful dance-off ritual Published on: May 26
1 days ago
PM Modi to visit Australia in ‘near future’: Australian foreign minister Penny WongWong said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had announced that Modi would visit Australia in the “near future”. Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:46 PM IST By HT News Desk Share via Copy link Prime Minister
1 days ago
Woman shows ladoos melting in Delhi heat, says ‘Inki abh barfi banegi’A viral video showing boxes of ladoos turning into a soft mess has left the internet amused, as people react with memes and relatable summer experiences. Updated on: May 26
1 days ago
Martha Mitchell was a flamboyant Washington DC socialite whose husband was embroiled in the Watergate scandal. Her shocking claims of a violent abduction and a "dirty business" were ridiculed as delusional – until they turned out to be true. Martha Mitchell was a character; everyone agreed on
1 days ago
