The Supreme Court has issued notice on a writ petition filed by Emerald Heights International School and its Director, Siddharth Singh, seeking restrictions on children’s use of social media and an enforceable regulatory framework to protect them from online harms.
The petition contends that protecting children from online harms is part of the State’s constitutional responsibility and cannot be left solely to parental supervision or voluntary measures adopted by social-media platforms.
Invoking Articles 14, 15(3), 21 and 21A of the Constitution, the petitioners highlight risks including cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, exposure to age-inappropriate content, anxiety, compulsive platform use and behavioural profiling. They also rely on Articles 39(e) and 39(f), which address the protection, health, dignity and development of children.
The petition seeks directions to the Union Government to frame and implement a comprehensive, enforceable regulatory framework for children’s safety on social-media platforms. Alternatively, it seeks a prohibition on social-media use by children below a prescribed age and appropriate regulation of access by older children, including enforceable age-based restrictions on account creation and use.
The petitioners contend that children’s health, safety, dignity and development must take precedence over unrestricted access to social-media platforms and seek judicial intervention to ensure effective protection against foreseeable online harms.
The petition has been filed by Vaibhav Choudhary and Petitioners are represented by Ms. Khushbu Jain.
