SC Asks Centre to Examine Statutory Safeguards for Minors on Social Media.
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to examine whether a statutory framework can be introduced to strengthen safeguards for minors using social media and other digital platforms, particularly to ensure compliance with existing Indian laws concerning children below the age of 18.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana sought the Centre’s consideration of whether specific legal safeguards could be put in place for social media intermediaries and other digital platforms dealing with minors.
The court’s intervention follows concerns raised before it regarding the protection of children in the digital environment and the need to ensure that online platforms operate consistently with Indian laws governing minors.
The issue also involves the legal position that children below 18 cannot independently enter into certain legally binding contracts. The court is examining whether social media platforms and other digital intermediaries should be subject to a statutory mechanism that takes such existing legal protections into account.
On September 10, the bench had taken note of submissions made by senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, appearing for petitioner NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance. The court had sought responses from the Union Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice on the petition.
During the earlier hearing, the bench had emphasised the need for safeguards for children in India, observing, “We need some safeguards in India.”
The latest development places the focus on the responsibility of digital platforms to protect minors while ensuring that their practices remain consistent with Indian law. The Centre’s response and any proposed statutory mechanism could have wider implications for how social media intermediaries address children’s access, contractual relationships and protection in the digital space.
The matter is being examined by the Supreme Court as it considers the broader legal and regulatory framework required to safeguard minors in an increasingly digital environment.
