Overview
- The observation came as the court disposed of a 2018 PIL that sought mandatory parental-control tools from internet service providers to shield children from online pornography.
- Authorities were told to accelerate awareness campaigns targeting vulnerable groups through all media, with state and national child-rights commissions asked to draw and implement an action plan.
- The court recorded that intermediaries act under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, yet URLs hosting child sexual abuse material remain accessible.
- Judges stressed user-end safeguards, urging the use of parental-control apps on devices and highlighting that parents carry heightened responsibility for children’s online safety.
- The bench refrained from sweeping directions, noting earlier Supreme Court recommendations, while pointing to Australia’s new law that obliges platforms to block under-16 accounts or face penalties.