ON AUGUST 20, 2026, the Delhi High Court scrapped a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking to restrict children’s use of social media and prohibit child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The court further held that the decision to ban or restrict children’s access to social media is a matter of policy for the central government. 

According to an exclusive report by news agency ANI, Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Manmeet Singh Arora disposed of the PIL petition seeking restrictions on children’s use of social media and measures to prohibit CSAM. As per various media reports, the court clarified that the issue would be taken into consideration by the central government. The bench further noted that the suggestions stated in the PIL petition would be considered after consulting all the stakeholders relevant to the subject. 

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The bench added, “The stakeholders have to be consulted. Their views have to be taken… It’s in the realm of policy, not for a court to give a direction that you should ban this or you should ban that.” The bench further said that the stakeholders should be allowed to look into the matter in question and “then pass an order.”

The PIL disposed of by the Delhi High Court was filed by Kriti Dua and Dr Sharad Gupta. Bar and Bench stated that Dua is the mother of a three-year-old, while Gupta is a paediatrician.

Delhi HC Gives No Timeline to the Government Over the Disposed PIL

As per reports, the court has not set a timeline for the central government to take a decision on the matter raised in the PIL petition. The petition aimed to highlight the strong need for safer guidelines for young children using social media. As cited by ANI, one of the many issues highlighted was the rising risk of cyberbullying on the internet and the dissemination of dangerous content on social media.

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The petitioners have sought measures to restrict social media access for children below the age of 13, along with a “regulatory framework” to monitor their safety. Senior advocate Arvind Datar claimed that platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are actively working to curb CSAM on their respective platforms.

Earlier this month, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology raised questions about social media platforms, including Meta, over the dissemination of child sexual abuse material. The panel also issued a warning to these platforms. 

Advocate Datar, as quoted by Bar and Bench, argued that numerous accounts have been taken down, but “at the same time, you can't stop some perverted rogue elements who do it. The technology is growing more and more, and it is easier to identify.” He further mentioned some identification techniques, such as “Photo DNA.” “But what happens is, despite all our efforts, something leaks out and that comes into the media,” Advocate Arvind Datar argued.

[VS]

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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