The Karnataka High Court has proposed the establishment of age limits for social media users in India. The court made this suggestion during a hearing on September 19, where it also mentioned the possibility of social media platforms verifying users’ ages through documents like Aadhaar, similar to requirements imposed on gaming platforms. This move comes in the context of an ongoing appeal filed by social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) regarding takedown orders issued by the Indian government in 2021 and 2022.
Call for Age Verification
During the hearing, the bench, consisting of Justices G Narender and Vijaykumar A Patil, expressed concerns about school-going children becoming addicted to social media. They highlighted the potential benefits of making some form of identification mandatory for user registration. Justice Narender specifically noted that users should be at least 21 years old, questioning whether younger individuals have the maturity to judge what is in the nation’s interest.
A ‘Lot of Good’ in Banning Social Media
In addition to proposing age limits, the Karnataka High Court suggested that banning social media could yield positive outcomes. They drew a parallel with excise rules, implying that an age limit could be introduced for social media usage. The court has adjourned the matter for further hearing on Wednesday, September 20.
Context of the Dispute
This development follows the Indian government’s characterization of social media platform X as a ‘habitual non-compliant platform’ in filings with the High Court. The government accused the platform of failing to adhere to takedown orders and undermining its authority. They also expressed concerns that the platform was acting as the final arbiter of government orders.
The Ministry’s Takedown Orders
At the heart of this dispute are numerous orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to block specific tweets and accounts. Twitter approached the High Court last year to challenge these orders issued under Section 69A of the IT Act.
Twitter’s Legal Battle
The government challenged Twitter’s standing to file such a plea, citing the platform’s foreign credentials and arguing that only Indian citizens had the right to challenge fundamental freedoms. In June, a single-judge bench of the High Court dismissed Twitter’s petition and imposed a fine of INR 50 Lakh for failing to block accounts within the deadline. Twitter appealed the decision, and earlier this month, another High Court bench directed the platform (X) to pay half of the fine amount for the time being.
Depositing the Fine
Recently, X informed the High Court that it had deposited INR 25 Lakh with the Registry in compliance with the previous order. The legal battle between social media platforms and the Indian government continues to raise important questions about freedom of speech, government authority, and the responsibilities of online platforms in India.
