Supreme Court backs children’s right to internet access and orders safety measures

India’s Supreme Court says children have a fundamental right to use the internet, and should not be kept offline to protect them from abuse.

The court says the internet provides information, learning and connection, including for children in remote areas and children with special needs.

It found that child sexual exploitation and abuse material has continued to circulate online, despite earlier directions, and that current efforts rely too much on individual reports.

The court says platforms and those who create or share the material are responsible, not the children who are harmed by it.

It said the government’s Sahyog Portal could help build a shared database of verified digital fingerprints and links, so platforms can identify known material and remove it.

To reduce mistakes, each database entry must be checked independently by at least three trained human analysts, and the database must not store the material itself.

The court directed the Union government to prepare rules and procedures, while requiring platforms to remove verified matches, report material to Indian police and provide ways to challenge removals.