India’s Supreme Court declared on Wednesday that internet access is a fundamental right for every child under the country’s constitution.
A bench of Justices Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala and Vinod K. Chandran issued the ruling in a written order. The judges stated that minors possess the same constitutional guarantees as adults.
Denying minors digital access entirely would be absurd, the court observed. The bench compared it to claiming that young children lack a conscience worth protecting or freedom of speech.
Child safety and personal freedom do not conflict, the judiciary stated. Children deserve both protections simultaneously.
The ruling emerged from a petition filed by a nongovernmental organisation. The legal challenge accused internet intermediaries of serious failures in addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse material online.
The apex court directed the federal government to establish a national hash and URL list database dedicated to finding and deleting abusive content. Judges also demanded information from authorities regarding current technological tools used by intermediaries to combat such material.
The court ordered that digital safety and age-appropriate sex education must be integrated into core school curricula.
The decision arrives as various nations implement bans or limits on youth social media usage. Earlier this year, India’s chief economic advisor suggested age-based restrictions on digital platforms due to vulnerabilities to compulsive use and harmful material.
India continues to expand its digital presence rapidly. Statista figures from last October indicate the South Asian country holds the largest global audience for both Facebook and YouTube, with Facebook alone exceeding 403 million users.
