Need social media firewalls, safeguards for minors: Supreme Court
The Indian Supreme Court has requested a government response to a petition arguing that minors should be restricted from social media platforms. The petition claims that children lack the legal capacity to enter into contracts with digital platforms, exposing them to risks like grooming and data misuse.
Why it matters
This case could set a significant legal precedent for digital age verification and child safety regulations in India.
NEW DELHI: With minors' access to social media platforms banned in many countries, Supreme Court Thursday took the first step in this regard by seeking govt's response to a PIL that said opening a social media account is akin to signing a contract - which is impermissible for a person below 18 years of age under Indian law.The plea by senior advocate H S Phoolka, on behalf of NGO Just Rights for Children Association, found resonance with a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, which said there was a need for safeguards and firewalls to protect minors.Phoolka said children were at present permitted to independently create and maintain accounts on social media platforms and access digital platforms "notwithstanding their statutory incapacity to enter into a contract under Section 11 of Indian Contract Act, 1872", and said such contracts are void ab initio.The NGO said…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in