Dimapur, October 1 (MExN): The Society for Equitable Voluntary Actions (SEVA), which works for child protection in Longleng and Peren districts, has welcomed the Supreme Court's direction to the Centre to examine the possibility of putting into a statutory framework requirements for social media platforms and other digital intermediaries to comply with Indian laws governing minors.
A press release from SEVA said the development could have a far-reaching impact on online child protection, particularly as children spend increasing amounts of time on social media and face risks including online sexual exploitation, grooming, trafficking, sextortion and cyberbullying. SEVA is a partner of Just Rights for Children (JRC), which had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking stronger safeguards for children using digital platforms.
SEVA General Secretary Anuradha Chatterjee in the press release stated that the apex court's observation was an important step towards making digital platforms accountable under Indian law. "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.
"These risks do not remain confined to the screen. Children can be targeted, manipulated and eventually pushed into situations involving sexual exploitation and trafficking. That is why stronger safeguards and accountability for platforms are urgently needed," Chatterjee added.
The petition filed by the Just Rights for Children Alliance raised concerns over minors being allowed to independently create and maintain accounts on digital platforms despite such agreements being void under existing law. The Centre, in response, told the Court that the government would examine the issue, SEVA stated.
The organisation noted that the Supreme Court's direction also relates to the existing legal framework governing minors, including the 18-year age threshold for independently entering into contracts with social media platforms. Just Rights for Children is a network of NGOs working across 782 districts with communities, governments and law-enforcement agencies to identify and prevent threats to children, including those emerging in the digital space, SEVA stated.
