SC asks Centre to consider social media rules for minors. Here’s what they could cover

What happened

The Indian government told the Supreme Court it will amend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to bar minors from creating social‑media accounts. The change follows a petition by the Just Rights for Children Alliance and a court directive for statutory, not merely guideline‑based, safeguards. Proposed measures include age verification without full ID collection and parental consent backed by digital‑literacy guidance. The amendment would make compliance mandatory for all intermediaries hosting social platforms in India.

Why it matters

Platforms operating in India will need to redesign onboarding flows to block accounts for anyone under 18 and implement verifiable parental‑consent mechanisms, or risk regulatory action.

Business impact

Failure to implement robust age‑verification could lead to enforcement actions and loss of market access, while compliant platforms may face higher onboarding costs and data‑privacy considerations.

Checklist

• Implement age‑verification that confirms user is over 18 without storing full identity documentsHigh priority

  Use zero‑knowledge proof methods or similar technologies to satisfy the proposed rule while protecting user privacy.

• Add parental‑consent workflow for users under 18High priority

  Collect verifiable consent from a parent or guardian and provide digital‑literacy resources as recommended.

• Review and update internal policies to reflect statutory obligations under the amended IT RulesMedium priority

  Align terms of service, privacy notices, and compliance documentation with the new statutory framework.

Who reported it

Discussion