Under 18? Social Media Accounts Could Soon Be Restricted
India could be heading towards a major change in how children access social media.
The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it intends to amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to create a statutory obligation preventing social media intermediaries from allowing children under 18 to independently open accounts.
The development came during proceedings before a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
WHY IS THE SUPREME COURT LOOKING AT THIS?
The case stems from a petition filed by the Just Rights for Children Alliance, which has sought stronger safeguards for minors using social media and other digital platforms.
A central issue raised before the court is that people below 18 are minors and generally lack independent contractual capacity under Indian law, while opening a social media account typically involves accepting a platform’s terms of service.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the government would address the issue through the intermediary rules. He also indicated that access to educational websites could operate with parental consent.
WHAT COULD CHANGE?
If the proposed rules are introduced in the form currently being discussed, social media companies could face a statutory obligation to stop minors from independently registering accounts.
However, this should not yet be described as an existing nationwide ban. The government has said it will introduce or examine statutory measures, and the final wording and implementation details will depend on the rules ultimately notified.
WHY THIS MATTERS
The case could reshape how teenagers in India access platforms they use every day.
The petition has raised concerns including online grooming, sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, misuse of children's personal data and exposure to age-inappropriate material. It has sought measures including parental consent and effective age-verification or age-gating systems.
For Gen Z and Gen Alpha families, the biggest questions now are practical ones: how platforms would verify a user's age, what role parents would play, which online services would fall within the rules, and how any restrictions would actually be enforced.
Comments