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PoliticsPIL filed in Delhi High Court seeks social media restrictions for children under 13 in India
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A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Indian government to frame guidelines and enact a law to protect children under 13 by restricting their social media access, and to regulate content for those aged 13 to 16. Filed by Kirti Dua and a paediatrician, the petition argues that addictive content on social media threatens children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It urges the court to direct major social media companies—including Meta, Alphabet, Telegram, Snap, and X—to implement robust age-verification systems. The plea notes that India lacks a robust digital ID system for minors and that existing parental consent mechanisms are easily bypassed. It relies on findings from the Economic Survey 2025-26 highlighting growing digital addiction. The case was listed before a Division Bench on July 29, 2026, but after one justice recused, it was rescheduled for August 5, 2026.
Source report
The petition urges the court to direct major social media companies to implement robust age-verification systems
Published - July 29, 2026 08:25 pm IST By The Hindu Bureau
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Centre to frame guidelines and enact a law to protect children below 13 years by imposing restrictions on their social media access, and regulating content for children aged 13 to 16.
The petition, filed by Kirti Dua and a paediatrician, contended that the easy availability of addictive content on social media poses a serious threat to children's physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
The case was listed for hearing on Wednesday (July 29, 2026) before a Division Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. As Justice Karia recused, the matter is now posted for hearing before another Bench on August 5.
Inadequate Safeguards
The plea, filed through advocate Anshul Gupta and represented by senior advocate Pinky Anand, stated that India lacks a robust, privacy-preserving digital ID system for minors, and existing parental consent mechanisms are weak and easily bypassed. It argued that tech-savvy minors circumvent restrictions through fake dates of birth, burner emails, and spoofed IDs, rendering such safeguards porous.
The plea noted that addictive design features — such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds — exploit young minds by prioritising engagement over well-being.
The petition asks the court to direct major social media companies, including Meta, Alphabet, Telegram, Snap, and X, to implement robust age-verification systems and ensure strict compliance with their child safety policies. The plea relies on findings in the Economic Survey 2025-26, which highlighted growing digital addiction among children and young adults.
“On December 12, 2025, and March 11, 2026, Respondent No. 2, the Ministry of Women and Child Development, issued press releases on strengthening a coordinated response to cybercrimes and prioritising child safety. These press releases highlighted guidelines on preventing cyberbullying in schools, homes, and cyberspace, but no machinery has been implemented to date to operationalise these functions,” the plea said.
Published - July 29, 2026 08:25 pm IST
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Public Interest Litigation Seeks Social Media Restrictions for Minors in India