Supreme Court asks how children can have social media accounts, as underlying contracts are legally void

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 28, 2026) questioned how Indian children can have accounts on social media platforms, given that these accounts are activated on the basis of contracts drawn up between the children and the platforms despite the fact that minors are legally incompetent to enter contracts under Indian law.

Such contracts are completely void from the beginning or void ab initio , noted a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

“What are these social media platforms doing? Are they permitting children as young as 12 years to 15 years to have accounts? Let us say Twitter: can a 15-year-old child have a Twitter account? And what is an ‘account’? It is a contract between the social media platform and a child,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi said, addressing the Union government side, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.