MADURAI: The Union government may consider framing legislation on the lines of a law enacted in Australia that bars children below 16 from accessing social media, the Madras High Court has suggested.
A division bench of Justice G Jayachandran and Justice K K Ramakrishnan made the observation while disposing of a public interest litigation seeking directions to internet service providers (ISPs) to offer parental control options, citing easy access to pornographic content by minors.
Noting that children who use the internet are highly vulnerable, the bench said parental responsibility is paramount. It added that until such a law is enacted, authorities must intensify awareness campaigns and reach vulnerable groups through all available media.
The PIL, filed in 2018 by S Vijayakumar of Madurai district, urged the National and Tamil Nadu Commissions for Protection of Child Rights to direct ISPs to provide parental control systems and to step up public awareness. Senior counsel for the petitioner referred to Australia’s recent legislation restricting internet use by children under 16 and suggested a similar framework in India.
The judges observed that the counter-affidavits filed by authorities did not convince the court that statutory responsibilities were being adequately discharged. While some school-focused campaigns are conducted, the bench said these were insufficient to spread child-rights literacy and awareness of safeguards.
As for ISPs, the court noted submissions that intermediaries periodically review and block objectionable websites under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. However, the bench underscored the need for user-end controls, stating that effective parental control apps and greater awareness among end-users are essential to curb access to child sexual abuse material.
Expressing hope that the commissions at the Centre and state would prepare and implement a concrete action plan “in letter and spirit,” the court disposed of the PIL.
