Social Media Teen Safety: Shutting down social media for kids under 16? Madras High Court notice to Centre; Know in detail

• Consider banning children from social media
• Madras High Court notice to Govt
• Indian government will follow the law of Australia?

Social Media Teen Safety: The Madras High Court has suggested that the central government should consider a law similar to the one passed by Australia to keep teenagers away from social media. According to a recently implemented law by the Australian government, children under the age of 16 are prohibited from using social media. Madras High Court Justice G. Jayachandra and K. K. Ramakrishnan’s bench made this observation while passing an order on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking direction to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide parental window services.

Madurai District S. Vijay Kumar, in a PIL filed in 2018, had expressed concern that pornographic content was easily accessible even to children. While ordering the public interest petition, the bench said that until such a law is implemented, parents should understand their responsibility to protect children from the insecurities surrounding internet use and concerned authorities should create awareness in this regard. Numerous scientific studies have also shown that excessive use of social media increases stress, anxiety and social pressure.

Also read: Bank Timings 2026: RBI’s big decision! Will bank timings change from 2026? Know in detail

Social media contains a large amount of pornography, violent content and aggressive content on provocative topics, which are not only disturbing but also affect teenagers and children. Many children unknowingly share their personal information on these platforms, which creates a risk of data misuse in the future. Many other countries, including England and Denmark, have been affected by Australia’s legislation and campaigns should be effectively intensified. Senior counsel representing the petitioners also referred to the Australian government’s recent law, which prohibits children under the age of 16 from using the Internet. Australia has made Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threadoo, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kik and Reddit age-restricted platforms for children under 16 from December 10.

Other countries are considering implementing similar laws in the future. New Zealand’s parliament has enacted similar restrictions on the platform to protect young people from the dangers of social media. These platforms also present content that harms the mental health of teenagers and young adults. Australia has passed the Online Safety Reform (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024.

Also read: BRICS Gold Reserves: Countdown to Dollar Hegemony Begins? BRICS decisive trend towards gold

The Act does not punish children directly. Places responsibility on social media platforms to ensure Australian children under 16 do not have social media accounts. A similar bill has been introduced. Several US states are also introducing separate social media safety bills. The Madras High Court judge’s opinion has raised expectations of a similar law in India. It is important to see how quickly and positively the Indian government responds to this.

Violation of the laws can result in fines of up to $49.5 million, which is roughly $2.94 billion in Indian rupees. The Madras High Court has expressed concern in this regard as social media is increasingly contributing to problems such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem among Indian teenagers and young adults. These platforms create pressures of comparison, criticism and rising expectations among teenagers and young adults.

Disclaimer: This is an automated news feed of Navrastra newspaper. That navarashtra.com Not edited by staff.