Overview
- A division bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K. K. Ramakrishnan made the observation while disposing of a 2018 PIL from S. Vijayakumar seeking mandatory parental-control tools to curb access to harmful content.
- The court said the Union government may explore legislation modeled on Australia’s restrictions on social media use by those under 16, and asked authorities to intensify outreach to vulnerable groups until any law is considered.
- The bench found counter-affidavits from authorities unconvincing on whether statutory responsibilities to protect children online were being adequately fulfilled.
- It urged national and Tamil Nadu child-rights commissions to draw up and implement an action plan and to expand awareness campaigns on online safety.
- ISPs told the court they act under the 2021 Intermediary Rules to block objectionable websites when notified, with the bench noting the importance of user-side parental controls.