Delhi High Court Says Centre Must Decide on Social Media Rules for Children

New Delhi, August 21, 2026; The Delhi High Court has declined to intervene in a petition seeking restrictions on children’s use of social media, observing that any decision to ban or regulate such access falls primarily within the policy-making authority of the Central Government.

A Bench comprising Justice V. Kameswar Rao and Justice Manmeet P. S. Arora heard a public interest litigation that called for measures to limit children’s access to social media platforms.

The court held that framing a broad policy on children’s social media usage was a matter for the Union Government rather than something that could be directly imposed through judicial intervention. It consequently chose not to entertain the PIL.

The Bench, however, directed that the concerns raised in the petition be placed before the Central Government for consideration. The government has been asked to examine the representation and take an appropriate decision on the issue.

The court’s observations come amid growing concerns over the impact of unrestricted social media access on children and the need for stronger safeguards for young users. The matter also raises wider questions about how India should balance children’s online safety with access to digital platforms.

With the issue now left to the Centre, any comprehensive framework governing social media access for children would have to emerge through government policy or appropriate regulatory measures.