Madras High Court urges Centre to consider banning social media for children below 16
Chennai: The Madras High Court has asked the Union government to consider bringing in a law, similar to legislation in Australia, to regulate and monitor internet usage by children, citing the easy availability of pornographic and harmful content online.
The observation was made by a Division Bench of Justice G. Jayachandran and Justice K. K. Ramakrishnan while hearing a public interest litigation that raised concerns about children’s exposure to objectionable material on the internet. The Bench noted that children are particularly vulnerable in the digital space and that stronger safeguards are required to protect them.
The court observed that while adults may exercise personal choice in accessing online content, the responsibility of parents and authorities is much higher when it comes to children. It said awareness about the dangers of child pornography and other harmful online material must be significantly improved until a dedicated law is enacted.
In its order, the court said the Union government may explore the possibility of introducing legislation on the lines of Australia to address the issue. Until such a law is passed, the Bench directed authorities to intensify awareness campaigns and ensure that information reaches vulnerable groups through all available media platforms. It also expressed hope that both the State and Central Commissions concerned with child protection would prepare and implement a concrete action plan.
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The court was hearing a petition filed by S. Vijayakumar, who highlighted the growing internet usage among children and the increasing access to abusive pornographic content and harmful online games such as the Blue Whale challenge. The petitioner sought directions to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights to require internet service providers to offer a “parental window” that would allow parents to regulate and monitor the content accessible to their children.
The petitioner argued that a combination of awareness programmes and parental control tools on devices could substantially curb children’s access to harmful online material.
The Bench noted that child rights commissions have a statutory duty to promote child rights literacy and safeguards across society. While acknowledging that some awareness initiatives were already in place, the court said these efforts were insufficient given the scale of the problem.
The court was also informed that intermediaries conduct periodic reviews under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and that objectionable websites are blocked when brought to the notice of internet service providers. However, the judges observed that regulatory action alone was not enough and that effective control at the user end was equally necessary, which could be achieved through parental control mechanisms.
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US rules out use of nuclear weapons against Iran
Washington DC: The White House has reportedly ruled out the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, even as uncertainty continues over ongoing peace negotiations and a deadline set by US President Donald Trump approaches.
Issues bout a possible escalation had increased after US Vice President JD Vance said that the United States has “tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use” in dealing with Iran.
His remarks came amid rising tensions and ahead of a deadline linked to peace efforts.
The situation has attracted attention as Trump warned Iran that its “whole civilization will die tonight tonight” if an agreement is not reached by Tuesday at 8 pm.
This statement led to speculation about the possibility of extreme military measures, including a nuclear strike.
Following Vance’s comments, the White House issued a clarification distancing itself from such interpretations. In a post on X, it said, "Literally nothing @VP said here 'implies' this, you absolute buffoons." In a later statement, it added that “only the president knows” what action will be taken regarding Iran.
Literally nothing @VP said here "implies" this, you absolute buffoons https://t.co/7JU3wXMaWX
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2026
