Petitioners Seek Nationwide Ban on Social Media for Children

Kirti Dua and pediatrician Dr. Sharad Gupta filed a public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court requesting a nationwide legal framework to ban children under 13 from accessing social media. The petitioners argue that addictive platform designs and exposure to sexually explicit content violate the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Kirti Dua and her co-petitioner propose mandatory age-verification systems based on the Digi Yatra framework and content regulation for users aged 13 to 16, including overnight curfews. The plea cites legislative models from France, Canada, and Australia, as well as the Union government's Economic Survey 2025-26, to argue that binding legislation is necessary over voluntary platform measures.

The legal challenge names Meta, Alphabet Inc., and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India as respondents. On July 29, Justice Tejas Karia recused himself from the Division Bench, leading the court to reschedule the hearing for August 5 before a different Bench.