SC asks Centre for statutory social media safeguards for minors

The Supreme Court on 28 September asked the Centre to examine whether a statutory framework can be created to ensure social media platforms comply with Indian laws governing minors, including the bar on children under 18 entering into contracts. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant heard a petition by the NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, which argues that contracts minors sign when creating accounts are void under Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act. The court said safeguards must be incorporated into intermediary rules, not remain voluntary guidelines. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that 'something can be done, something should be done and will be done'.

Separately, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has begun consultations to draft a Standard Operating Procedure for reporting child sexual abuse material online, after the court gave it a last opportunity to file a compliance report. The next hearing is on 15 October. Meta and Google have announced they will report such cases directly to Indian agencies instead of the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Social activists and advocates have also called for stricter laws on online access to pornographic content, with a memorandum to the Prime Minister seeking a dedicated law to prevent persons below 18 from accessing such content.