The Delhi High Court has directed the Union government to take an appropriate decision on a petition seeking restrictions on social media use by children below 13 years of age, and a ban on night-time internet use for minors.
The public interest litigation argued that sexually explicit content is available on social media without adequate filtering, and that exposure to such material can harm children psychologically and potentially push some towards risky behaviour.
The petition sought mandatory age-verification mechanisms for accessing social media platforms. It also urged strict implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection law.
Hearing the matter, the High Court observed that imposing restrictions or bans on children’s social media use falls within the Centre’s policy domain, and the court cannot issue directions on such policy choices. However, considering the seriousness of the issues flagged, it asked the Union government to take a considered decision.
