India Considers Stronger Social Media Rules for Users Under 18

The debate over childrens social media use in India has entered a significant stage after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to examine stronger statutory safeguards for minors using digital platforms.

The court raised the issue on September 28 while hearing a petition filed by Just Rights for Children Alliance. The petition seeks safeguards for children using social media and other online platforms and has questioned how minors can independently accept platform terms and create accounts.

The Supreme Court asked the government to consider whether social media platforms should be required to prevent people below 18 from independently creating accounts. The Centre indicated that it would examine the matter, with the possibility of using the Information Technology rules to establish a clearer regulatory framework.

Importantly, there is no new nationwide ban on social media for people under 18 at present. The government is still examining the legal and technical framework, and the exact form of any future rule has not yet been finalised.

The petition has brought attention to the legal relationship between minors and digital platforms. Creating a social media account generally requires users to accept terms of service and other agreements. The petition argues that this raises questions under Indian law because minors cannot independently enter into binding contracts in the same way as adults.

Parental consent is one option being considered in the wider discussion. During the hearing, the possibility of requiring a parent or legal guardian to provide consent before a minor can create an account was discussed. The government is expected to examine how such a system could work in practice.

The issue is also connected to concerns about childrens safety online. The petition has highlighted risks including cyberbullying, misuse of personal information, exposure to unsuitable material and other forms of online exploitation. These concerns have become part of the broader discussion around age verification and parental supervision.

India already has laws and rules dealing with online safety and childrens privacy. The government has said that the Information Technology Act, the Information Technology Rules and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act together provide a framework for protecting children online. It has also said that international developments are being studied while reviewing policy.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act includes provisions concerning childrens personal data and parental consent. However, during the Supreme Court proceedings, the parties discussed whether existing provisions are sufficient to directly address the creation and operation of social media accounts by minors.

The question of age verification could become one of the most difficult parts of any new system. A rule setting an age threshold would require platforms to determine whether an account holder is a minor while also dealing with privacy and data protection concerns.

The government will therefore have to consider both legal requirements and the practical technology needed to implement them. The Supreme Court has given the Centre time to examine the issue, with the case expected to come up again after the government considers its options.

The discussion is not limited to India. Countries including Australia have introduced stronger age related restrictions for children on social media, while several other governments have been examining different approaches to age verification and parental involvement.

In India, the debate has also gained attention from state governments. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have announced plans concerning social media access for children at different ages, although the details and enforcement mechanisms of those proposals differ.

The central issue now is not simply whether children should use social media, but how platforms can operate within Indian laws while providing appropriate safeguards for younger users. Any new framework will have to address age verification, parental consent, privacy and enforcement together.

For families, there is no immediate nationwide change requiring all minors to stop using social media. The current development concerns the governments examination of possible statutory safeguards following the Supreme Courts intervention.

The next steps will depend on the Centres response and any changes it may propose to the existing Information Technology rules. Until those changes are formally notified, reports about a complete social media ban for everyone under 18 should not be treated as an implemented rule.