The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to examine statutory safeguards for minors using social media, including whether platforms should be required to restrict membership to users aged 18 and above. The development does not amount to an immediate ban on social media for people under 18.
The issue came up during the hearing of a petition seeking measures to prevent minors from creating and operating social media accounts. The court expressed concern over how children, including those aged 12 and 13, are able to access such platforms under existing arrangements.
The discussion also focused on the legal position of minors entering into agreements with social media companies. The petitioner's counsel argued that Indian law does not permit children below 18 to independently enter into such contracts and suggested that stronger statutory requirements should be incorporated into the rules governing digital intermediaries.
The Centre has agreed to examine the issue. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government would consider what measures could be taken.
The Supreme Court's latest intervention follows an earlier hearing in September, when it sought the Centre's response to a petition seeking restrictions on minors operating social media accounts. The petition had also proposed allowing children to access educational content through accounts controlled by parents or guardians.
For now, any change to the minimum age for social media access would require further government action and the creation or amendment of applicable rules. The court's latest proceedings therefore mark a push toward legally enforceable safeguards rather than an immediate nationwide ban.
