Now Reading: Centre denies plan to bar under-18s from social media, calls reports fake
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Centre denies plan to bar under-18s from social media, calls reports fake
Centre denies plan to bar under-18s from social media, calls reports fake
The Story in Brief
The Union government on Wednesday, 30 September, denied reports that it plans to bar under-18s from social media accounts, calling them 'fake and without any basis'. The clarification from Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology sources contradicts the government's own submission in the Supreme Court a day earlier.
On Tuesday, 29 September, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that the government would amend the IT Rules to make it a statutory obligation for platforms to not allow minors accounts, calling their agreements void contracts. The bench agreed, saying platforms must comply with Indian law rather than importing US rules. The court was hearing a petition from NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance raising concerns over risks including sexual exploitation.
The ministry now says no such proposal is under consideration. The bench had sought clarity on whether new rules or an amendment would be introduced, with the government yet to file a formal proposal.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The government has contradicted its own legal position. The m9.news and inc42.com reports of Tuesday and early Wednesday both state that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court the government would amend the IT Rules to bar under-18s, a position the bench endorsed. But the newindianexpress.com report of Wednesday afternoon, citing Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology sources, calls those very reports 'fake' and says no such proposal exists. The divergence is stark: the earlier coverage frames a decisive government move, while the later report denies it altogether. Neither outlet explains how an official submission in court can be disowned by the same ministry a day later. The balanced reading is that the government's public position is now in direct conflict with its own law officer's recorded statement before the Supreme Court bench, leaving the court's directive, that platforms must comply with Indian law, as the only concrete outcome so far.
Coverage: 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (3): m9.news (sensationalist), inc42.com (neutral report), newindianexpress.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 30 September 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources.
