Supreme Court Declines Petition on Social Media Ban for Kids Under 13

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea requesting a statutory ban on children under 13 using social media, labeling it a policy issue for Parliament. The plea, by Zep Foundation, proposed age verification and penalties for non-compliance. Petitioners can address concerns directly with the authority.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea on Friday aiming to enforce a legal restriction on social media use for children under 13, stating that such a matter falls under policy jurisdiction meant for Parliament. Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih advised the petitioner's counsel to seek legislative action.

In response, the bench determined that the petition's request belonged to the realm of policy-making and thus would not be entertained by the court. Nevertheless, the petitioner was granted the liberty to present their concerns directly to the competent authority.

Filed by the Zep Foundation, the plea asked for mandatory age verification measures, including biometrics, to control minors' access to social media, alongside imposing strict penalties on platforms not adhering to child protection laws. The court instructed that any representation made be evaluated in accordance with the law within eight weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)