Now Reading: Delhi HC says social media ban for children is policy matter for Centre
-
01
Delhi HC says social media ban for children is policy matter for Centre
Delhi HC says social media ban for children is policy matter for Centre
The Delhi High Court has told the Centre to consider a public interest litigation seeking a ban or restriction on children's use of social media, calling it a policy decision outside the…
The Delhi High Court has told the Centre to consider a public interest litigation seeking a ban or restriction on children's use of social media, calling it a policy decision outside the court's remit. A division bench of Justices V Kameswar Rao and Manmeet PS Arora disposed of the PIL on August 20, directing the government to consult stakeholders including social media platforms, but set no timeline.
Times Now reported that the petitioner sought to restrict social media for children under 13 and regulate it for those aged 13-16, citing Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The Centre's counsel said the issue required stakeholder consultation and possible new legislation. Senior advocate for Meta told the court the platforms have high proactive detection rates for CSAM, with over six lakh posts removed from Facebook last year.
MediaNama reported that the PIL was filed by Kirti Dua and Dr Sharad Gupta, arguing unchecked online exposure violates children's rights. The outlet also flagged questions from its own roundtables: who will monitor enforcement, whether verification can work in shared-device homes, and that the burden of monitoring falls disproportionately on mothers and low-literacy households.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Times Now's coverage led with the court's policy deferral and the government's stated need for consultation, framing the matter as a routine administrative process. MediaNama's report foregrounded the unaddressed practical and equity questions raised by parents and experts at its roundtables: enforcement gaps, the burden on mothers, and the cost to all users of verification. The measured read is that the court has shifted a politically sensitive question to the executive, but the operational difficulties of a ban remain unresolved. Watch for the Centre's draft framework across age brackets, expected to follow stakeholder consultation.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): timesnownews.com (neutral report), medianama.com (government critical)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
