Madras High Court Supports Australia-Style Social Media Ban for Children Under 16

The Madras High Court has asked the Central government to consider bringing a law similar to Australia’s rule that stops children below 16 years from using social media platforms.

A Bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan made this observation while hearing a case related to the easy availability of pornographic content on the internet. The Court said that until such a law is introduced in India, authorities must run strong and effective awareness campaigns on the dangers of child pornography.

The judges pointed out that in Australia, social media companies are legally required to ensure that children under 16 do not have accounts. If they fail, they can face heavy fines. Importantly, the Australian law does not punish children or parents but places responsibility on social media platforms.

The Madras High Court also expressed concern that child rights commissions are not doing enough to protect children as required under the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. While some awareness programmes are conducted in schools, the Court said these efforts are not sufficient.

The petition also sought directions to internet service providers to offer parental control features. However, the Court noted that the Supreme Court of India had already made similar suggestions earlier, and therefore no fresh guidelines were issued.

The Court observed that harmful content related to child sexual abuse is still easily accessible online. It stressed that parental control tools and greater awareness among parents are essential, as children are highly vulnerable in the digital space. With these observations, the petition was disposed of.