The Supreme Court has responded to a petition seeking a comprehensive and robust regulatory system to protect children from the dangers posed by social media platforms. It issued notices to the central government on the matter today. A bench comprising CJI Justice Suryakant and Justice Joy Mallya Bagchi took up the matter.

The petition was filed by 'The Emerald Heights International School' and its director Siddharth Singh Girnar. In their petition, they sought a minimum age limit for use of social media and guidelines to protect against online harassment. 

The central government, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Law and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights were included as respondents. The bench joined this petition with another case already pending on a similar issue. The next hearing was adjourned to December 3.

The petitioners argued that most social media platforms currently implement a self-certification minimum age of 13, which is not adequate to protect children under Indian law. They reminded that under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, everyone under the age of 18 is considered a 'child' and should be given additional protection.

These include parental consent, non-tracking of their behavior, and restrictions on targeted advertising. However, the petition alleged that the existing laws are incomplete and there is no clear policy on age verification, parental involvement, and accountability of social media platforms regarding child safety. They

expressed concern that children are exposed to cyberbullying, harassment, harmful content, and dangerous contacts from strangers due to social media. They said that excessive use is increasing problems such as insomnia, decreased concentration, anxiety, low self-esteem, and decreased attention to studies. 

In this context, the petitioners requested the Supreme Court to issue guidelines to impose mandatory privacy settings for children's accounts, age-appropriate access, and restrictions on harmful content.