Prodigals’ Home welcomes SC move on safeguards for minors on social media

Dimapur, September 30 (MExN): Prodigals’ Home has welcomed the Supreme Court’s direction to the Centre to examine the possibility of putting in place a statutory framework requiring social media platforms and other digital intermediaries to comply with Indian laws governing minors, including the 18-year threshold for independently entering into contracts.

Prodigals’ Home Director K Ela said the development was an important step towards strengthening accountability of digital platforms and protecting children online.

“Children today are spending a large part of their lives online, often without completely understanding the risks involved. We are seeing how excessive and unsupervised use of social media can make children vulnerable to grooming, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation,” she said.

Ela said such risks could extend beyond online interactions, with children potentially being targeted, manipulated and pushed into situations involving sexual exploitation and trafficking.

“That's why stronger safeguards and accountability for platforms are urgently needed,” she said.

Prodigals’ Home, which works at the grassroots level for child safety and protection in Nagaland, is a partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC), which filed the petition before the Supreme Court seeking stronger safeguards for minors accessing digital platforms.

The organisation said the proposed statutory framework could have a wider impact on online child protection, particularly as children increasingly use social media and face risks including online sexual exploitation, grooming, trafficking, sextortion and cyberbullying.

On September 10, a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sought responses from the Union ministries of Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice on the issue. The Centre has informed the Court that it would examine the issue.

The JRC is a network of NGOs working across India on child protection, including prevention of sexual exploitation and emerging threats to children in digital spaces.