Overview
- A division bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and K. K. Ramakrishnan made the suggestion while disposing of a 2018 PIL seeking ISP-provided parental controls.
- The court issued no binding directions and instead told authorities to intensify awareness campaigns directed at vulnerable groups.
- Child-rights commissions were faulted for inadequate outreach, with the bench urging concrete action plans to improve child-safety education.
- Judges noted intermediaries act under the IT Rules, 2021, yet CSAM websites persist, emphasizing the need for device-level parental control applications.
- Australia’s recently enforced law requires platforms to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, a model the court cited that faces practical and rights-focused challenges.