Politics · India · 4 hrs ago
India's Supreme Court says internet access is a fundamental right, including for children
India's Supreme Court has ruled that internet access is a fundamental right for everyone, including children.
The court said this right is protected by constitutional guarantees of life and liberty, and freedom of speech and expression.
It noted that the internet can be a vital source of information and education, especially in remote areas.
The judges rejected blanket bans on children using the internet, saying their effectiveness has not been established and children may turn to less safe, unregulated sites.
The court supports safeguards against content that is inherently harmful to children, rather than a total ban on access.
The ruling came in a case brought by the Just Rights for Children Alliance about failures to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse material online.
The court said there had been no meaningful progress in two years since its 2024 judgment on the issue.
India’s Supreme Court ruled that every individual, including children, has a fundamental right to access and use the internet.
The court said the right is protected by the constitutional guarantees of life and liberty and freedom of speech and expression.
It rejected a blanket ban on children’s internet access, saying the effectiveness of such restrictions has not been established.
The court supported safeguards and restrictions on content that is inherently harmful to children.
The ruling came in a public interest case about failures to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse material online.
- Who
- India’s Supreme Court, in a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran.
- What
- It ruled that internet access and use is a fundamental right for everyone, including children, and rejected blanket bans on children’s access.
- When
- The article was published on October 17, 2026; the date of the court’s order is not stated.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The ruling came in a public interest case about lapses in tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse material online.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Supreme Court issued an earlier judgment concerning child sexual exploitation and abuse material.
The court said there had been no progress worth the name in addressing the issue.
The Supreme Court ruled that internet access and use is a fundamental right, including for children, and rejected blanket restrictions on children’s access.
- Constitutional protections
- Article 21 and Article 19(1)(a)
- Bench
- Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Chandran
- Public interest litigant
- Just Rights for Children Alliance
- Earlier judgment
- 2024 Supreme Court judgment on child sexual exploitation and abuse material
- Publication date
- October 17, 2026
What people are saying
we have no hesitation in saying that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Children do not cease to use the internet merely because the law prohibits them from doing so
All that we are trying to say is that any blanket restriction on access to internet by children is nothing more than unproven measures of proven disproportionality.