Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on a public interest litigation seeking a comprehensive and enforceable national framework to protect children from risks linked to social media platforms, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The petition, filed by Indore-based Emerald Heights International School and its director of academics, Siddharth Singh Girnar, has called for mandatory age verification, age-appropriate access, verifiable parental consent and stronger safeguards against cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, harmful content and excessive use of social media platforms.
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A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the ministries of women and child development and law and justice, as well as the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, according to PTI.
The bench tagged the plea, filed through Vaibhav Choudhary, with a pending petition and listed the matter for hearing on December 7.
The petition sought an appropriate order declaring that the respondents’ continuing failure to effectively protect children from foreseeable risks such as grooming, sexual exploitation, cyberbullying, exposure to age-inappropriate and harmful content, behavioural profiling, features that encourage compulsive use and other harms linked to commercial social media platforms was arbitrary, unreasonable and in violation of Articles 14, 15(3), 21 and 21A of the Constitution.
It also asked the court to direct the Centre to frame, notify and implement a dedicated, comprehensive and enforceable regulatory framework to protect children from harms arising from their access to and use of social media platforms.
According to PTI, the plea said: “Issue a writ of mandamus directing the Centre to prohibit the use of social media platforms by children below such age as may be prescribed, and to regulate the use of such platforms by children above the said age, in such manner as may be found appropriate.”
It further sought directions to the Centre to “frame and enforce appropriate age-based restrictions on the creation, maintenance and use of accounts by children on designated social-media platforms”.
The school referred to instances of underage children operating social media accounts, being contacted by strangers, facing cyberbullying and harassment, and suffering from sleep deprivation and reduced concentration after prolonged mobile phone use.
The petition also cited concerns raised by parents about children’s excessive screen time, anxiety over online popularity, body-image issues, social withdrawal and declining interest in studies and outdoor activities.
It said schools and parents could not address the problem independently because the risks were linked not only to online content but also to the design and operation of platforms that encouraged prolonged engagement.
The plea said children were particularly vulnerable to grooming, sexual exploitation, blackmail, impersonation, the circulation of private images, and exposure to violent, sexually explicit or self-harm-related material.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the child rights commission on the request for age-based restrictions and a national regulatory framework to protect children using social media, and will hear the matter on December 7.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
